Morne was the first person to play me Portishead, The Pixies, The Cure, Damian Rice, Violent Femmes and the early Kate Bush. Obviously Morne was a man of great taste. I won’t mention the fact that the two of us single-handedly destroyed a lamppost in the Alberton Boulevard late one Friday night. For more details on the get away attempt, police reports and consequent fibbing, phone me directly.

When Morne told me about Yael Naïm I had already seen the video for ‘A New Soul’ and was intrigued but not blown away. Luckily for my continued education, Morne persevered and handed me his copy of her first album and demanded a report. (This is it, Morne.)

Only when my mother neglected to pull up her hand break, and I set off to Alberton to deliver a Woollies bought pot plant in sympathy for her crashed “oulike klein wit dingetjie” (the white Hyundai Atos) did I have a solid hour in the car to listen through the whole album.

You win, Morne.

She did her two years in the Israeli army as all Israeli chicks are meant to do, played some gigs with the Wynton Marsalis musicians and recorded a failed 2001 album with EMI. Luckily for us she met multi-instrumentalist, David Donatien, which led to the use of extraordinary instruments being used on this album. Add her raw, yet haunting voice and you’re in for a remarkable ride.

Look out for the cover of ‘Toxic’ on the album. I listened to it twice before it hit home. It is that Britney Spears track! Visit Youtube for a live video version of ‘Toxic’ and come for coffee at my place for a 6.20 minute iTunes version of the same song. It’s, hmmm, intoxicating…