Before I first listened to Manginah's new album, Notes in the Wall, musical director Harrison Bannett '11 gave me a disclaimer: "Everything you are about to hear on this album, one year in the making, has been created entirely and exclusively by the human voice." At first I brushed it off as a silly thing to mention before listening to an a cappella album. "Of course everything has been created by the human voice," I replied. "This is a cappella, after all." With a chuckle, he replied with two words: "Just listen."In a moment, I understood exactly what he meant. The tracks and layers on this album-from the first song until the very last-are elaborate and sound incredible. I had heard many of the songs performed live at previous campus events, and their talent as a group transferred flawlessly to this album-maybe even improved. The amount of time and effort Manginah put in as an entire group to ensure a quality album is quite clear and makes for an engaging listen the full way through.

This is the fourth album for Manginah, Brandeis' co-ed Jewish a cappella group formed in 1994, and quite the senior effort. The title of the album, Notes in the Wall, alludes to both the notes left in the Western Wall in Jerusalem and music notes, thus combining both the musical and culturally Jewish aspects of the group.

The album begins with a new track, "Adam Tzover Zichronot," which the group recently debuted live at a Hillel Shabbat dinner. Arranged by producer John Clark, whose production studio was used once or twice a week for just over a year to create the album, the track beautifully emphasizes Manginah's ability to perform as a group. While many a cappella arrangements make the soloist the most important aspect of the song with the rest of the group falling behind as support, this track uses the strengths of every group member to create a full sound that increases the power of soloist Louis Polisson '12, whose vocal range and soul shines through brilliantly. After only the first minute of the song, I was instantly hooked and ready for more.

Thankfully, the rest of the album follows the trend set by the first track, with arrangements that allow for the voice of each group member to be heard both individually and as part of the group, which makes for a unique listening experience. The transitions from song to song fit so perfectly that between the first track and the second, fan favorite "Jerusalem," even a musically trained ear would have trouble realizing that the track switched until the familiar back beat of the Matisyahu song chimes in.

I was privileged to hear a rough cut of "Jerusalem" from early in the recording process, and the group's evolution from rough to reality made a good song into a great one. The beat boxing of the rough copy turned into an almost indiscernible percussion that would give a drum kit a run for its money, the harmonies became sweeter and the voices of soloists Elizabeth Imber '09 and Adam Ross '10 clearer and stronger. This change is not just a result of the recording process, but also of what a year in the studio can do for a group-increase confidence and promote unity.

Other notable tracks on the album include the incredibly multi-layered and elaborate-sounding "Yoshvim B'Beit Café" soloed confidently by Max Fischlowitz-Roberts '10, the funky Middle Eastern track "Ein Ani" and the sweet and perfectly titled final track of the album, "Happy Ending."

All in all, the album should aurally satisfy almost everyone from Manginah's biggest fans to miscellaneous casual music listeners. Every single member of the group should be proud of the work he or she put in as the final product really shines. If one didn't know that this was the first time in a professional recording studio for many of the singers, it would be almost impossible to tell. The confidence and poise of their voices give the impression that many of them are seasoned pros. For Manginah's first album in four years and the first from this specific group of students, they certainly finished on a high note.