Review and Giveaway of Chanale's newest CD

From my blog, Life in the Married Lane.  I thought the Metroimmas might like this giveaway!

I love Chanale Fellig's  music.

When I heard that she had released another CD, I wanted to get it.  And then I dawdled, and things came up, and we moved, and, well, I didn't buy it until a week and a half ago.  And what a shame that I waited!  It's a fantastic album.  I had the luxury of listening to it straight through when I took a road trip to DC last week.  I was totally singing along at the top of my lungs.

This album, Taking Over My Heart, has the distinct flavor that I've come to associate with Chanale's music. It exudes a realistic kind of positivity.  She's able to capture some of the really human moments in life as well as reminding me of what I strive to be like.  And her music is foot-tapping, sing-along good.  The choruses are the kind that get stuck in my head and I'm happy about it. The positivity, balance, spirituality, the encapsulating of life's experiences and the catchy melodies.  It's all there, and it's good.

She has an amazing ability to write lyrics which go straight to my heart.  It's rare that I'm able to listen to one of her albums without welling up at least once (and usually more).  This album is no exception.

The songs are balanced between singing about Jewish motherhood and about Jewish life in general.  Tracks 1,2,4, 8 and 9 have a strong lyrical connection to motherhood and its beauty, quirks and challenges.  As a mother, I connected to many of the messages Chanale included in those songs: the wonder, the joy, the all-consuming experience that motherhood is.  The songs made me giggle, nod in agreement, and get all emotional.

The other half of the album connects to the desire to be in Israel, the radiance of inner beauty, the connection to family and previous generations, the reality of Hashem's brachos in our lives, and the ebb and flow of life.  Those are themes that I think most Jewish women can relate to, and Chanale expresses them beautifully.

Musically, I love all the different textures, instruments and effects.  There is definitely a continuity to it, but there is also a nice variety between the songs.  Some are a little edgy, some a little country, and some are just good ol' rock.  The arrangements are also excellent, with an attention to musical detail that I, as a musician, greatly appreciate.  There is an allowance for space and silence in between lots of jamming and rocking out.  The production quality is also high, which allowed to me experience the music more fully.

Finally, the packaging is gorgeous.  A nice insert with beautiful photography, lyrics (I love that), and sweet acknowledgments.

What's even more exciting than this CD's release is that I am giving TWO CDs away!  For free.  That's right.  The perfect Chanukah gift?  Perhaps.  You can go to JewishJukebox.com and listen to snippets of the album's songs, if you like.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on my blog, saying why you love listening to music.  If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can share this post on Facebook, and leave a comment to that effect.  Ditto for Twitter, just tweet and leave a comment that you did it.

You can enter until midnight on Sunday, the 25th of December.  I will contact the winners via email as well as do an announcement post on Monday the 26th.

Also, if you want to keep up with the latest posts, or whenever I do another giveaway, you can always subscribe via email or RSS.  Or follow me on Twitter.  Or like my Facebook page.  Lots of options here!

Just FTR, I'm not getting anything from this giveaway except the warm fuzzy feeling of sharing good music and supporting a talented musician.

Any comments left here on the Metroimma site won't count, so make sure that you leave the comment on my blog!