Just as sensational as the new MacBook Air is the new up-and-coming artist Yael Naim, who sings gaily behind the commercials for Apple’s unbelievably nonexistent laptop.

The commercial catapulted Naim’s single, "New Soul," to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Naim into the music limelight. Her French label, tôt Ou tard, pushed ahead the American release date of her second, self-titled album to take advantage of all the Apple-created buzz.

Reportedly, Steve Jobs hand-picked Naim’s song himself, and indeed it is easy to see how “New Soul” stands out from the slew of singles from other indie singer-songerwriters: it is unique but not Bjork-strange, unfussy yet memorable. The percussion is minimal but upbeat; Naim’s voice is strong, delicate and crystal clear. The piano in “New Soul” is quirky. The trombone is even quirkier. And although the chorus is as simple as it gets, a delightful string of “la la las,” the verses are both charming and inspiring. Naim sings, “I’m a new soul/ in this very strange world/ Hoping I could learn a bit/ about how to give and take/ But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear/ Finding myself making every possible mistake.”

(The music video for “New Soul” is the perfect visual manifestation for Naim’s creative and carefree song. In the video, Naim moves into a small apartment, which she decorates with wallpaper of a scenic lake setting and pictures of her friends playing instruments. When she takes off one of the pictures from the wall, it forms a hole outside to a real lake. The four walls of her apartment fall away, and her friends raft over to the musical party taking place on her floating flat. Watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYBLjEaDFDE)

Naim was born in Paris to Tunisian immigrants, but moved with her family to Ramat Hacharon, a small town outside of Tel Aviv, when she was four years old. Music was always an interest and pastime for her, and she credits listening to her father’s Beatle’s records with interesting her in the world of pop. A classically trained pianist, Naim spent the mandatory two-year Israeli military service as a soloist in the Israel Air Force Orchestra. Also greatly influenced by Aretha Franklin and Joni Mitchell, Naim wanted to start writing music: “After all these years everything was a bit chaotic inside. My classical education, my love of pop, the jazz, the folk...I didn’t know how to bring it all together...”

In 2001 Naim was signed with the British label-giant EMI and recorded and released her debut album “In a Man’s Womb.” The CD was met with cool reviews. Naim was disillusioned with the recording process, and left the label. A few years later, Naim later teamed up with David Donatien, a percussionist and multi-instrumentalist from West India. Donatien helped arrange and direct most of the songs on “Yael Naim,” and in fact the two often perform as a duo. The two, along with other musicians, recorded all thirteen tracks on the album in Naim’s apartment in Paris. "We did not have a label," Naim said. "We did not have a lot of money so we did it just with a computer." Atlatic Records has since signed Naim and released her sophomore album, sung half in English and half in Hebrew, in March in the US.

But despite Naim’s diverse and interesting background, and the loveliness of “New Soul,” the rest of Naim’s album falls surprisingly flat. The Hebrew tracks prevent most American listeners from getting to know her lyrics, one of the strongest elements of her songs in English. Melodically, many of Naim’s songs are nondescript. Her clear voice meanders over minimalist guitar and drums, songs flow into one another, choruses blend into verses—there is little of the foot-tapping joy found in “New Soul.”

There are two other bright spots on the CD. “Far Far” is a striking and poignant song with hints of autobiography about a young girl’s powerful imagination. “Take a deep breath and dive/ There’s a beautiful mess inside/ And it’s everywhere,” Naim sings. The song begins with only Naim’s vocals over simple guitar chords and subtle percussion. It builds slowly as the bass and fuller percussion join, drops to its opening quietness as the song winds down, to crescendo once again as Naim croons the chorus to the end of the track.

The ironic piano-vocals version of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” comes as a jolting but entertaining surprise near the end of her album. Naim sings it with such emotion and clarity that it takes a while to remember you’ve heard the song somewhere else. A way to create some publicity? A jab at the overproduced, unskilled world of massively produced pop? Perhaps both, although Naim claims the song contains an emotional power she admires. If anything, it stands as a testament to how Naim’s minimalist approach and crisp vocals can offer a potent interpretation to almost any song, original or otherwise.

The girl is talented: she sings, writes her own song, plays the piano, guitar, organ, melodica, synth and flute. I have no doubt Naim will follow up her fast and furious rise to fame with other Apple-worthy efforts. For now, however, “Yael Naim” offers only a handful of diamonds in the rough of the rest of her album.

Download: “New Soul,” “Far Far,” “Toxic.”