Matisyahu
Youth
(JDUB/SonyBMG)
As the old adage goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover and thus is the case with Matisyahu—he looks more like Krusty’s dad than your traditional pop/rock artist. If people can put their pre-conceived notions aside and simply press play they will quickly discover that this 26-year-old White Plains, NY native is onto something with Youth. The unique sound is a Bob Marley meets Sublime reggae hybrid with traces of old school hip-hop thrown in for good measure. This album is a breath of fresh air that shimmers with gems such as King Without a Crown, Jerusalem and What I’m Fighting For. While the religious undertones should come as no surprise, this is one of the year’s most refreshingly enjoyable albums thus far.
—Trevor Savory
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
