Wow, Sefirah is finally coming to a close, and last week, just in time for Lag Ba’omer, in fact, EXACTLY on Lag Ba’omer, a brand new album is out, ready to bring you out of your a capella stupor, and back into the world of uplifting and spiritually soothing intrumental and vocal music. Eitan Katz released his third album last week, “Unplugged 2”, the second in what will hopefully become a series of albums containing rarely sung, and even more rarely heard, songs of R’ Shlomo Carlebach Z”L. What better way to have been in the spiritual mood for Lag Ba’omer, and to get yourself uplifted for Matan Torah on Shavuous, than with the holy niggunim of R’ Shlomo? With a carefully hand-picked selection of both slow and fast tunes, this album will surely pull on your heartstrings and bring back the nostalgia and the memories of R’ Shlomo. You will certainly feel the pure simcha as you drift into Od Yishoma, Shabbos will always be on your mind when listening to Bo’ee B’shalom, and the deep, passionate longing for Mashiach will be deeply rooted in your heart as the pure chords of Ani Maa’min begin being strummed. There are even two guest vocalists featured on “Unplugged 2.” The first is the inimitable Elli Kranzler, of D’veykus fame, on the K’rasicha track. The second guest is Eitan’s brother, Shlomo Katz, on the track “B’cha Batchu”. Having such incredible guest vocalists really enhances both the quality and the diversity of the niggunim on the album. Also featured on this album is an amazing choir of backup singers, Shmuel Yaakov Braun, Nochi Krohn, Aryeh Kuntsler, Yaakov Nussbaum, Tuli Skaist, Dovid’l Weinberg, and Shmuel Ziegler. This album will certainly brighten up your day and lift up your neshama. This is the way that R’ Shlomo definitely meant for his songs to be performed, and I’m sure you will feel a little bit of his own neshama touching yours when you listen.