Ever since Steve Jobs hand-picked “New Soul” to advertise the MacBook Air in 2008, Yael Naim has shot to fame. “New Soul,” the first single released from the album, scored a #7 position on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 2008, and great excitement has since been generated over the potential of this Israeli singer-songwriter and her new self-titled CD.

The ruckus, however, should not bely the nature of Naim’s charm, which lies in the tender simplicity of her tunes and lyrics. Naim’s arrangements are reminiscent of Jack Johnson, with the same calming tempo and unadorned background instrumentals. Although she does utilize a rich combination of strings in a number of her songs (“Levater” and “Shelcha,” for example), her accompaniment never veers into the dramatic. Aside from the wonderful jazz piano background in “Pachad,” “Yael Naim” is impressive for the way the focus manages to remain constantly on the richness of her voice.

The husky quality of Naim’s vocals is a cross between that of Regina Spektor and Rachael Yamagata. Though very consistent throughout the album, Naim’s voice never gets boring due to contrasts with the layered textures of her compositions.

“New Soul,” for example, is a pop tune that opens with a line of low staccatos on the piano. What gives the song depth, however, is the contrast between these disconnected bass lines and the way her voice sustains a tender melody across the verses and chorus. The amalgamation of the composition articulates a complexity that makes the listen an enduring, interesting one. In contrast, “7 baboker” and “Lachlom” emote sadness through understatement. Once again, it is Naim’s voice that rises above the company of a single guitar line. The listener focuses on the direct intertwining of guitar and voice, sometimes interrupted by very subtle bongo rhythms.

What makes “Yael Naim” surprisingly enjoyable for me, however, is the architecture of her lyrics. Although not always the most creative (falling into the trap of clichéd longing more than once!), Naim makes up for it by flashes of compelling poetry, be it in Hebrew, French or English. We are willing to overlook the overused “I’ve been waiting too long / Not strong enough to be with you” in exchange for the original and endearing images she uses. “I irrigate illusions / Then let them grow” (“Too Long”) and the naivete of “I came into this strange world / Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take” (“New Soul”) are such examples. The slightly awkward, accented English she uses also contributes to the charm of the album.

Though each song shines in its own way, perhaps the star of “Yael Naim” is Naim’s cover of Britney Spears’s Grammy Award-winning “Toxic.” While already covered by many, such as Nickel Creek, Marillion and Hurra Torpedo, Naim reinvents the song with a very distinctive arrangement. Using a range of percussion and string instruments, she turns a sex-bomb pop hit into a piece of yearning that reeks of the uncanny. Naim’s “Toxic” has the bizarre quality of Bjork, but remains somehow grounded in her earthly vocals, much like a homely Alice in a very peculiar Wonderland.*

Overall, the CD is more than a little pleasant. Ranging from soothing to delightful, Naim’s second release is quite deserving of the stir it has caused. Although she claims that, since coming here, she has “felt the joy and the fear / finding [herself] making every possible mistake,” “Yael Naim” certainly proves otherwise. Far from a mistake, this record will, at the very least, make an impact on the easy-listening crowd, and has enough promise for us to expect even better in the future.

* An alternative, live performance is also available on YouTube. Her performance for the Festival de Piano utilizes progressions that are far more haunting and mysterious. The clip also demonstrates the intensity of her voice better than her album does (http://youtube.com/watch?v=j5pP55u9s10).