This review is by Mike O’Cull, independent music journalist. www.mikeocull.com

Eyal Erlich is a singer/songwriter from Tel Aviv, Israel with a unique and emerging creative voice that is currently making a lot of friends in the online music world. He writes, records, and performs with just his voice and an acoustic guitar, which is pretty much a pass-or-fail test of whether a performer is interesting or not. Erlich passes this test with flying colors and makes solo music that gets people to listen all the way to the end. His guitar playing is rhythmic and strong and his vocals are honestly emotive and expressive. His SoundCloud page is ample evidence of his skills, boasting tracks with hundreds of thousands of listens.

Erlich’s Music could be called Modern Folk or 21st Century Solo. He displays a highly individualistic style that’s much less derivative than many in his genre. His vocals anchor to his guitar in a different, slightly less American way than one would expect and, although that sound is present, it is clear that Erlich is his own man when it comes to style and vibe. Songs like “It Don’t Seem Right” and “Rain” are hard to describe because they subvert tried-and-true acoustic forms in subtle ways that, before you realize it, have you hanging on every word and chord. A lot of this is the undeniable feeling of personal commitment that runs through these performances. He goes all in when he plays and that sense of realness makes all the difference.

Fans of melodic and intelligent songwriting will take to Eyal Erlich straight away. He takes these songs to the people, touring extensively in his region, and has hopes of performing them worldwide in the future. His music requires close listening but the effort is well worth the reward. Start today. You’ll be glad you did.