Ben J. Breaks It Down

Ben Jacobson reviewsBeyond Eden's debut effort.

Led by Toronto's Chayim Newman, who sings lead and plays rhythm guitar, these guys combine many fashionable flavors in an interesting manner: Beyond Eden's boy-band visual image, post-yeshiva cheekiness, and pop/hip hop/rock-reggae sound come together in a package that is highly marketable to today's Modern-Orthodox youth.

After opening its latest disc, On the D, with the obligatory Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach cover that must appear somewhere in every Jewish rock recording, Beyond Eden punches us in the face with its unique attitude in 'Avenue J (Which Way is the Scene)'- an ode to global Jewish late-teen aimless fun, pre-Shabbat loafing, and the pursuit of all things trendy.

On the platform of a Linkin Park-style mixture of boy band rap-lite and hard rock, Newman flows with too many lyrical gems to cite here. Rest assured, however, that MC Newman is known to 'Chap a shmef with my bunch of goons,' and likes 'To hear every girl from Michlala / Checkin' my Marzipan and goin 'Oooh La La.''

Via The Town Crier