“The Wonder of Life,” with lyrics that touch on feelings from the lowest places, has already hit home with struggling teens 

If variety is the spice of life, then YAAKOV SHWEKEY’s latest release, L’CHAIM: A TOAST TO LIFE, is packed with flavor. From the energetic title track with Miriam Israeli’s Hebrew lyrics, to Sruli Besser’s striking English “Wonder of Life” ballad, to some new dance tracks, coproducer Yitzy Waldner says that after the innovative Musica album of 2018, he and Shwekey decided to go back to their roots a bit — “while still keeping things interesting.”

The talents of composer Hershy Weinberger add that touch of the past. “I’ve been following Hershy’s career all along, and I worked together with him on ‘Kol Hamelameid’ for Shmueli Ungar,” says Yitzy Waldner. “So I’ve seen firsthand how extremely talented he is.”

Weinberger came from Williamsburg to the studio in Lakewood to meet with Yaakov Shwekey and Waldner. “We had hoped he would bring in a chassidish song, yet we found that Hershy is so versatile,” says Waldner. “He once walked in to a meeting, and Yaakov told the story of a certain teenager he knew of, challenging Hershy to compose a song about it. He began to play a tune that morphed into “The Wonder of Life.” And as he was singing aloud for all he was worth, another song came to me, and I ran out of the room singing into my phone the tune for ‘L’chaim: A Toast to Life.’ So two songs were born within one hour.”

“The Wonder of Life,” with lyrics that touch on feelings from the lowest places — “I don’t see tomorrow, I’m hanging on by a thread…” has already hit home with struggling teens who feel their experiences reflected in the song.

The album’s first track, “Hinei Elokeinu,” takes listeners back to Yitzy Waldner’s own earlier days, when he composed Shwekey’s early dance hits such as “Ma Ma Ma” and “Areivim.” Waldner says that Avrumi Berko and Hershy Weinberger encouraged him to go back to this popular style, and the song that resulted was then laid out and framed by Hershy Weinberger.

Finally, for wedding goers after Tishah B’Av, “Sinai Remix” is an updated version of “Hashem MiSinai Ba,” the song Waldner and Shwekey composed together, released as a single for the singer’s daughter’s wedding last year, but now with a new energy and more fun, dance-floor feel.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 868)