An American Hasidic Jew who raps and embraces the spiritualism of
Bob Marley, Matisyahu at least doesn’t have to worry about competition.
There really isn’t any. His third album opens with “Smash Lies,” a
hard-hitting tune featuring tongue-twisting vocals. With beats that
vacillate between hip-hop and dancehall, it’s one of the heavier songs
Matisyahu has recorded. “We Will Walk” settles things down a bit, but
the production is still busy and the vocals become layered as the
song’s tempo escalates. Accessible cuts like the anthemic “One Day” and
the 311-like, jam-friendly “So Hi So Low” are balanced by experimental
songs like the hiccupping “Struggla” and the epic, expansive “Darkness
Into Light,” a tune whose Linkin Park-like tendencies are overshadowed
by terrific beat-boxing segments. The album shows great range since
Matisyahu, much like Sublime did a decade ago, stays true to his dub
roots while catering to Jack Johnson and Ben Harper fans. Cutting
tracks in five different studios, Matisyahu might have busted his
budget making this album. And he might well be a one-note novelty. But
it’s always better to burn out than fade away. — Jeff
Niesel
This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2009.
