The unaffected chanteuse wows crowd at TAB
By Rahimah Rashith, photos courtesy of TAB
Paula Valstein, Israel’s darling songstress, has a voice like the lovechild of Regina Spektor and Rachael Yamagata.
Performing on a Friday evening to a crowd ready to wind down for the weekend, she was dressed in a simple white tee shirt and dark jeans, making her peppy pop melodies the only true spectacle of the night.
Backed by a drummer, bassist and guitarist, Valstein kicked off the night with a series of crowd favorites like My My, which instantly got the audience clapping along.
Valstein shot to national stardom in 2011, after she won Israel’s highest rated television program A Star Is Born. She then moved to New York where her music influences originated. There, she headlined prestigious venues such as The Blue Note, Joe’s Pub, Rockwood Music Hall, Highline Ballroom, CMJ Festival and the Steinway Piano Series amongst others.
As she hummed the melody to It’s All The Same it became apparent why she was so well loved. Her impeccable vibrato contrasted against the intimate setting, filling every corner of the room with the sweetness of her voice.
Her voice was powerful and loud, yet raw and truthful when it needed to be, shining in the acoustic moments of every song when accompanied only by a keyboard and her sincere lyrics.
Young Love, one of her newer tracks about high school and living with the folks, was full of the New York vibe that the audience had fallen in love with throughout the night.
She then slowed down and got intimate with Black and White from her first album, and had to crowd swaying to every note, entranced by her immaculate and effortless singing. This is one underrated gem who is still on her way to the top.
