Omer Zmiros – Y-Love and Yuri Lane’s all-vocal rap for the next 42 days

by David A.M. Wilensky [➚] · Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Crossposted to The Infinite Shabbos Playlist

It’s day 7 of the Omer and I’m trying to figure out if I like Y-Love and Yuri Lane’s new album, Sefira.

Some refrain from listening to music altogether during this 49-day march from redemption to law, but I definitely don’t. And neither do Y-Love now Yuri Lane follow this stricture either, judging by their release of an Omer album.

Sefira features rapping by Y-Love (Ortho-rapper Yitz Jordan) and amazing beat boxing by “the human beat box” Yuri Lane.

The album is all over the place topically with driving beats and great rhymes from always dependable Y-Love.

I can’t tell if I actually like it. It’s very sparse, but layered at the same time. I think I’m more impressed by it than I actually like it. The words are great and the beats are just mind-blowing. I almost don’t believe that this is all a cappella.

Sefira on MySpace.

Buy the album from Shemspeed.

Y-Love describes the album:

During the 7-week period following Passover, the Jewish Nation spends its time counting the days and weeks of the Omer period, culminating in the receiving of the Torah. During these weeks we are forbidden to use our normal musical instruments as a sign of decreased joy, forcing us to improvise. This is a paradox — being commanded to serve the Creator with joy always, but having His service be to decrease joy. Our music is that paradox. As we improvise with our music, so too, we sometimes must improvise with our simcha. Count it.

Sorry I don’t have a player or video from the album to embed, but I couldn’t find any.