Ari Rabin, AKA Alnev, sings with soul. The 22-year-old, who grew up in a Chabad emissary home in Coral Springs, Florida, has released his debut EP, “Vincent.” This emotionally charged record features Alnev’s deep, brooding voice and a modern sound that would fit in perfectly on mainstream airwaves.
Alnev, a redhead who sports a black kippah, gets personal on “Vincent,” a nod to fellow redhead Vincent Van Vogh. In songs like “Van Gogh,” “Even If You Don’t” and “Die for Family,” the singer gets personal and lets it all out, hoping his own feelings will resonate with listeners.
“Music is something that I believe can truly change the world,” he said. “Especially in our generation, with the power of the internet, the impact of the art we create is just incomprehensible. I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me how my music has deeply affected them and given them a voice. It’s the most incredible thing. It’s my favorite thing about being an artist: Watching my art take on a life of its own and offer people something that can help them feel seen.”
Alnev isn’t afraid to get real – it’s what fuels him. Being raised in a Chabad house, he would help local Jewish people get in touch with their Judaism. But at the same time, he said he felt, “pretty isolated through it all. I think the one positive thing about having a dark childhood is that I was gifted with the ability to write. It was the only way I could share.”
In “Die for Family,” Alnev sings, “You’re breaking, I know how it feels to lose hope,” and in “Even If You Don’t,” he croons, “They say true love waits for you, but I’m afraid I waited too long to ever get it back.”
“I’m so grateful to writing for being there for me throughout everything,” he said. “It’s such a gift.”
The young artist’s influences include Jewish and secular musicians, including Panic! At the Disco, Frank Sinatra, Yaakov Shwekey, Eviatar Banai and Shuli Rand.
“I’ve got a lot of Jewish friends who make impeccable music, namely Yosef David, Shoshana Maisel, Zalmy Yanover, Ary and Yonah,” he said.
While Alnev grew up in Florida, he is now based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn – he moved during the COVID lockdowns, in September of 2020. It was there that he truly found his voice.
“I was 18, and the school I was in had to close, and we were all sent home,” he said. “After a few months in Florida, I realized I had to start living. I had to start pursuing my dreams. I booked a flight to New York about two days in advance, packed all my things and flew there. I slept on my friend’s couch for a week, found a place to move into, moved in and have been there ever since. It’s been nearly four years now. I absolutely love it here.”
Alnev said that Judaism is in his veins, and he’s proud to be part of this “beautiful religion. In general, I think what this generation is seeking is the ‘truth’ and real, vulnerable expression. I feel very aligned with my Jewish identity, and my Chabad identity as well. I feel very connected to the Rebbe.”
However, he didn’t get everything he wanted out of the Jewish music he heard.
“Much of Jewish music is lacking in honesty and vulnerability, curtailed in order to focus on preaching and radical positivity,” he said. “As someone who’s very passionate about my Judaism, I feel like Jewish people deserve music that represents our humanity. [It should] express our real experiences, not the experiences we wish we had. I think expression is such a powerful tool, and one of the goals I have is to offer a real, honest voice that empowers real vulnerability and truth.”
With “Vincent,” which is available on Spotify and streaming on Alnevmusic.com, Alnev’s goal is to help others – touching listeners’ hearts and sparking their imagination at the same time.
“I hope people can gain from my vulnerability.”
-Alnev
“I hope people can gain from my vulnerability,” he said. “I hope they can feel empowered themselves to share more and get in touch with their own creativity.”
