Summer Listening

These new CDs from a trio of new and veteran artists cross the boundaries of time, culture and geography.

Yael Naim should definitely prefer Macs to PCs, considering the career boost the French-Israeli singer/songwriter enjoyed when her song "New Soul" appeared in ads for Apple's MacBook Air. The sweet-voiced singer collaborates with West Indian percussionist David Donatien for her debut album, Yael Naim (Atlantic), which features the much-downloaded "New Soul," along with ballads in Hebrew, French and English. An album to unwind by.

Internationally celebrated Israeli singer Noa's 12th album, Genes and Jeans, her first on the Decca label, was conceived from her memories of the Yemenite songs she heard as a child from her grandmother. She meditated on the old Hebrew/Yemenite lyrics and wrote her own English lyrics and music, contemplating her family's history and her own identity. The result is a compelling mixture of old rhythms and new insights, which owe much to the American folk-rock tradition of Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon.

The Sarah Aroeste Band's newest album, Puertas, is a revelation. Descended from a family with roots in Spain and, later, Salonika, Aroeste has set out to bring the rich musical tradition of Ladino—the language of the Spanish Jews after their expulsion from Spain in 1492—to a contemporary audience. The melodies on Puertas are a mix of traditional and original; decidedly Mediterranean in flavor, hints of rock, jazz and blues shine through. Aroeste's singing is sultry and lyrical and insinuates itself into your psyche.