Daniel Grinberg, a musician from Israel, has just released his new record, Short Stories, a concept album of sorts. As hinted at in the title, Short Stories is a collection of vignettes; little portraits of everyday life. On the vocals, Grinberg takes a back seat, relying on an adept cast of singers—*Alex*, Aveva Dese and *Yoav Arbel*—all more than up to interpret his songs as if they were the very characters depicted in his stories. An album of folk-inspired pop rock, the twelve songs imbue traditional troubadour’s tales with enough hooks to keep the listener humming along.
A lot of the songs, like the first track “80 Years”, are gentle ruminations on the human condition and general existential musings on experiences shared by us all. Sparsely instrumented, the majority of songs perfectly suit Grinberg’s typically melancholic and pensive lyrics. One exception to this rule, however, is the lush, string laden “Michaela”; a mawkish caricature akin to The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” From the heartland country of “Back Home” to the stormy rock ‘n’ roll of “The Forest,” Short Stories is an immediately pleasing and enveloping release from a uniquely poetic voice.
