Wrote: Ori Anaby
Album review - Itay Mazilo – Age of Disbelief
Release date – 6.9.2024
What do you think about when you hear the phrase "a masterpiece album"? England in the 1970's? Seattle two decades later? Scratch that, let's move to the Israeli scene: What do you think about when you hear the phrase "an Israeli masterpiece album"? Are you thinking about those last couple of decades of the last century once again? Long story short, listen up: There is a masterpiece album that is both Israeli and in English, and it is brand new. This album is "Age of Disbelief" by Itay Mazilo. Ten years have passed since Itay released his debut album, "So Far the View". Have you heard of slow cooking? Well, I'd say a decade is pretty slow. Although this album brewed slowly, the final product proved to be worth the wait. The album has eleven songs that not only stand by themselves, but intertwine into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. As much as I hate the compliment "it's good on an international level", Itay's album (and his music in general) certainly justifies this superlative. It's not hard to identify the influences of different artists from abroad on Itay's music, but he succeeds in creating his own style and he doesn't sound like he imitates others. Honestly? You wouldn't have been surprised if some of the songs in this album were released by a band like "Foo Fighters". Yes, it is really that good. You don't believe me? It makes sense. After all, this is an age of disbelief. The best way to be convinced that this album is really as good as I say it is would be to just... listen to it. In order to give you an incentive to do so, let's dive into the songs of the album together.
Dead End Road
A dead-end road right off the bat? That's part of the point. The first words of the first song already say something about the period we are living in. If everyone's telling endless stories and you have to struggle just to figure out the basic facts, no wonder it's so hard to believe anyone. In such a state of uncertainty, Itay suggests that we take a ride on a dead-end road. An interesting idea, but the truth is that our journey is only starting. In this song, you can already notice the kind of music that characterizes the first half of the album. The album has a structure similar to that of a mountain or a hill. It starts relatively calm, then the tempo increases until you reach the middle of the album. After two songs of a musical "peak", there is a sort of "decline" and the second part of the album is calmer. Luckily, the first song gives us a boost of musical energy so that we can start the climb. Moving on.
Age of Disbelief
The second song of the album, the title track, is in my opinion the song with the most powerful lyrics in the album. You can quote almost every line from this song and it will be very relevant in a discussion about the state of humanity nowadays. We are overwhelmed by huge amounts of information and our ability to filter what's important is diminishing. The problem is that incorrect information (not to mention false information) can have significant and even fatal consequences. Our inability to deal with this flood of information might lead to frustration, to a feeling of living in a cage with a tiny screen, as the song says. The days go by, the sense of time fades and we begin to lose touch with reality as we are busy all day scrolling through some feed. There is a world out there, one that is bigger than the device we hold in the palm of our hand, but we are getting disconnected from it. I could've written a lot more about the text and its possible interpretations, but this is only the second song in the album and we have a long way to go. The music in the song isn't as rageful as the text might appear to be, but it does complement it nicely. You can hear the frustration by the current situation, the desire to change it and maybe even hope that it is possible to do so. By the way, this is the last song Itay released as a single before the album was released.
Hey Child!
Speaking of the last single released from the album, we're now moving on to the first one, which was released two years ago and even won the title of "Song of the Year" by "Ze Rock" radio station at the time. Since then, "Hey Child!" is something I commonly say when talking with Itay. But who is this child really? Maybe it's an inner child? When we look at the world, certainly nowadays, we sometimes feel like children. The world can seem so big and scary and we just want someone to take care of us. As he did in the previous song, Itay suggests we change our point of view and look beyond our own needs and desires. After all, isn't that what growing up is all about? It is true that we are afraid and want others to take care of us, but for that to happen we have to be willing to do the same for them. Caring needs to be mutual for the whole thing to work. When it comes to music, the song is almost a microcosm of the entire album. It starts calm, increases the pace until a certain peak and towards the end it calms down again.
Turning Faithless
We're almost at the "peak" of the album, but that doesn't mean we can't stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Listening to the musical respite that Itay composed for us, we can once again reflect on the state of the world and our place in this whole story. These reflections reoccur throughout the album and the lyrics of this song deal with them as well. Once again, we deal with the feeling that the world is very big and we might get lost in it and feel small. This feeling is frustrating and it is very easy to lose faith in situations like these. Faith in ourselves? Faith in others? Faith in something greater? The answer most likely varies from one person to another, but I think that a lot of people can relate to the feelings Itay describes in this song (and in the entire album). All relaxed now? On your feet then! We have one hell of a summit ahead of us.
Lost the Music
"Hey ho". No, this isn't a reference to the "Red Hot Chili Peppers" song. This is the transition between the chorus and the second verse. Before Itay released this song as a single, he uploaded a teaser to social media that was simply that "hey ho". As soon as I heard it, I knew that this song was going to be something special and indeed it was. This song is an explosion of quality rock and roll that could have easily fitted in international rock charts. Every note in the song is a delight and the connection between them is simply a work of art. It's a little ironic given the song title, but this is the music I am happy to find and help other people discover. The text continues to correspond with its predecessors. We have lost trust, we have lost faith, we feel small in a big world, stuck on a dead-end road, so what is left for us? The music! Without it, we are truly lost. Up to this point, I haven't mentioned the booklet that Itay published to accompany the album (I will say a few words about it near the end). A few pages before this song, Itay reminds us to be grateful for the songs that saved our lives time and time again. Don't lose the music! But who's losing? Just wait 'till you see the music that awaits you in the second part of the "album peak". I won't tell you yet, maybe just whisper...
This is a Whisper
Ladies and gentlemen, this is rock and roll!! It's not a whisper, it's an erupting volcano of superb music. Plenty of distortion, wonderful guitar work and other instruments that complete the picture along with Itay's singing. You want more? You got it! Itay brought some serious backup: Inbar Koprak and her powerful voice that even "just" as backing vocals takes the song to a whole new level. A song that blows your mind right from the first note to the last. I'll say it again: If a song like this was released abroad, it would have burned up the charts. There is a lot of pain in the text. A deep wound that no matter how much you try to treat it quietly, in the end it turns from a whisper to a scream. Once again, we notice the feeling of loneliness and the terrible frustration that follows. Things accumulate until everything explodes, and with this ultimate release that this song provides us, we are ready to start the "descent from the peak" and reach the quieter part of the album.
Layers Upon Layers
After the two previous songs released a lot of tension, we reach the layers below. All those things that the eruption of the musical volcano brought up and are now exposed on the surface. Fear, sadness, uncertainty. Layers that we peel off on the way to the inner core. Itay is not afraid to touch these exposed nerves and he does so with a soft and caressing musical touch. This tenderness will accompany us as we progress towards the end of the album.
Ten Years in a Heartbeat
How can you make ten years go by in a single second? Maybe with a piano. In the shortest song of the album, it's just Itay and the piano. Together they take us further to the next song, where we will say goodbye to the mountain motif and move on to a completely different landscape.
Dreamsailor
Anchor aweigh! We climbed a mountain, almost finished descending it and now we are suddenly sailing? Does anyone even remember that we started on a dead-end road? And what a dream cruise Itay has arranged for us here, with the help of two wonderful backing singers. Together, they navigate a stormy sea of thoughts and dreams. The song tries to find a way to sail past the storm and maybe, in the end, find some peace. Is it possible to reach that peace in reality or only in dreams? I don't know, but at least for the four minutes of the song you can just close your eyes and immerse yourselves in the vocals and the music that combine perfectly into a song that is pure pleasure.
I Summon Beauty
After all the storms, explosions, frustration, and other difficulties that the album deals with, what are we asking for? Maybe we can summon some beauty? Some truth? We want something to take comfort in. Comfort you said? No problem. Follow me to the last song of the album.
Consolation
The album ends on a relatively optimistic note. Itay offers us some consolation. True, the situation is difficult and there is a lot of pain and frustration. We started the album on a dead-end road and now Itay shows us a possible direction to move forward. His offer: Release the pain, let go of the past and flow forward with time, towards the future. Easier said than done. There is no doubt that Itay is aware of that, so all he can do is make a suggestion. The real comfort that Itay gives us is the music, not only of this song but of the entire album.
So? Did I convince you? Much like Itay, in the end all I can do is make a suggestion. I have been observing the Israeli music scene for some time. Many things go under the radar and some of them are really good. To me, Itay's album is beyond that. There is a reson that I used the phrase "a masterpiece album" right at the beginning. I wholeheartedly think this album deserves to be called a masterpiece. Perseverance; creativity; choosing the right partners for the journey and connecting all the parts into a whole that is much greater than the sum of them. Itay truly mastered all those aspects. Not only does he put his heart into it, he also goes the extra mile. Not wanting the album to only be experienced through the cold and alienated cyberspace, Itay also released the album as a CD. Holding an album in your hands; smelling the scent after taking it out of the wrapper for the first time; inserting it very carefully into a computer or a sound system; wearing your headphones and/or turning up the volume and then, in one magical moment, pressing "play". No streaming service in the world could ever replace those sensations. Itay didn't stop there. A booklet was released alongside the album. In addition to the lyrics, the booklet contains beautiful photos and additional texts that Itay wrote. Combine that with the music and you get a complete experience that you won't find anywhere else. I said I could only make a suggestion, so here it is: The holidays are upon us. Buy yourselves a holiday gift and if not for yourselves then for the people you love. Of course, you can buy the album on all streaming services, but my suggestion is to at least buy the booklet as well, just so you'd have something tangible to hold in your hand. Its combination with the album is a significant upgrade. In the end, the only way you will (maybe) believe the things I wrote is if you check it out for yourselves. Take an hour to listen to the album (it's not that long, but it's always good to play it safe). Hold the booklet in your hand, have the album ready to be played on quality speakers (not your phone's!), take a deep breath and... press the button. Enjoy an album that is a masterpiece.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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