A Hasidic Jew playing reggae music sounds like one of the most unlikely marriages in music since Elton John and Eminem played together at the 2001 Grammy Awards, but there are a lot of similarities between Orthodox Judaism and reggae. Both are spiritual and emotional, both rely strongly on morality and both have musical activist icons in Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach.
Brooklyn resident Matisyahu has combined these schools of thought since 2001, producing a unique blend of music that reflects a taste for rebellion and tribute to his heritage. Youth, his second studio album, is a piece of work that would feel comfortable in either dance clubs or synagogues.
Reggae may be the style Matisyahu claims, but Youth is a synthesis of many musical influences. His speed and rhymes are reminiscent of hip-hop artists, and he brings in guitars that would be more at home in a rock song. The song What I'm Fighting For\ is a pleasant anomaly, with only Matisyahu's voice and an acoustic guitar driving a message of unity, and an electric guitar solo in ""Youth"" breaks up the beatboxing nicely.
Reggae has a long history of being associated with social change and liberation, and Matisyahu's songs continue this noble tradition. Where reggae pioneers Bob Marley and Peter Tosh drew on the experience of growing up poor in Jamaica, Matisyahu evokes images of 5,000 years of Jewish turmoil from the Bible to the Holocaust in passionate songs such as ""Jerusalem"" and ""Dispatch the Troops.""
As befits the album's title, much of Matisyahu's lyrics are aimed toward the younger population, especially in the title track: ""Young man, control in your hand / Slam your fist on the table and make your demand / You better make the right move."" There is a feeling to Matisyahu's words that cannot be shaken, and his smooth, even tone does not falter once—a surprise, as he is belting out lyrics at a pace that would put some rappers to shame.
The second half of the album feels like Matisyahu wants his listeners to cool
off after the passion of his protest songs, slowing with the interlude ""Shalom/Saalam"" (""peace"" in Hebrew and Arabic, respectfully) that overlaps string instruments with a rap beat for a soothing combination.
From there, Matisyahu lets the listener drift away on the soporific ""Late Night In Zion,"" and then adds some jazz to his already eclectic mix with a saxophone background on ""Unique is My Dove"" and a Caribbean vibe with drums and a rapid guitar solo on ""Ancient Lullaby."" He closes his album with ""King Without A Crown,"" a pure reggae song that reminds listeners of the opening track by calling up images of fire and exile.
An inventive and cohesive piece of work, Youth does not sound like anything else out there today, befitting Matisyahu's unique background and style. Both fast-paced and soothing, Matisyahu just may have created his own genre of music.
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