| | |  | Accessories | Home » » Light | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Few artists make an impact as complete as the one Matisyahu made with his Top 40 smash "King Without a Crown": Here was a true original, the song announced--a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Fans responded to this one-of-a-kind voice, too, driving Youth, Matisyahu's Grammy-nominated 2006 studio disc, to the top spot on Billboard's reggae albums chart. True originals, though, don't stay put for long, and on his bold new album, Light, 29-year-old Matisyahu proves that there's much more to his artistry than might initially meet the eye. "As my musical tastes have grown I have been re-discovering my sound and my voice," he says. Light is anything but safe. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime, the Strokes), the 14-track collection covers a dizzying amount of stylistic ground, from hard-edged dancehall ("Smash Lies") and ska-inflected New Wave ("We Will Walk") to laidback pop-rock ("So Hi So Lo") and acoustic folk-soul ("I Will Be the Light"). While reggae is far from absent here--see the old-school toasting in "Motivate"--Light finds Matisyahu edging away from his comfort zone into more daring territory. "Being an artist is about being sensitive to how the world resonates inside you and then being able to express it," he says. "This process is an ever-changing one." | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| August 25, 2009 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Format:
| Original recording | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 37 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | Smash Lies | | 2. | We Will Walk | | 3. | One Day | | 4. | Escape | | 5. | So Hi So Lo | | 6. | I Will Be Light | | 7. | For You | | 8. | On Nature | | 9. | Motivate | | 10. | Struggla | | 11. | Darkness into Light | | 12. | Thunder | | 13. | Silence | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Sophomore Slump?Jul 15, 2010
For someone who achieved rapid fame with the impressive album "Youth," Matisyahu seemed to forget what made him so popular: the novelty of Hebrew Reggae artist who was dedicated to his art, but more so to his faith. He's lost that vibe in this album: it's more of a hip-hop blend, with little to no Reggae elements. The songs are well done, but not necessarily anything above the ordinary in today's music scene.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 a major dissappointmentMay 27, 2010
I love Matisyahu. Everything he does. I've seen him three times in concert from the front row and will see him again - it's a Hanukkah tradition for me. I love his skillful mix of reggae with hip-hop and the mix of Jewish themes. And, I'm not Jewish, not in the least. But, I don't like this album. The only good thing about it is the cover. "Smash Lies" and "One Day" might be good songs but they are on the bottom of his greatest hits list. This album consists of everything that doesn't make him interesting. Gone is the reggae replaced by hip-hop and trip-hop. Gone are the Jewish themes to discuss kids on the street. Gone are even the interesting hooks. I would not recommend this album. I can barely listen to. A major dissappointment from someone who obviously thought he was less Jewish he would be more popular, even though it's being Jewish that made him popular. I consider this just a step on Matisyahu's musical journey of discovery.
No Longer Just a NoveltyApr 27, 2010
The trail of Matisyahu is one of an unlikely pop star. Highschool dropout cum jam band devotee cum reggae/hip-hop devotee, his stage antics made him something of a flavor of the month. I have to admit, the press made me want to find out more about him, and his albums filled the bill. This generously bearded kid sounded like the real deal, but he also had the potential to become yesterday's news.
"Light" aims to break beyond the back story to make Matisyahu into a music force to be reckoned with. Musically, it succeeds. Sadly, his hipster cred appears to have vaporized; while "Youth" debuted in the Top 5, "Light" barely made the Top 20 and fell off the charts quickly after.
Which is to point at the crappy tastes of hipsters. "Light" is a huge major leap from "Youth" in that Matisyahu stretches out from the reggae/Hip-Hop and pushes into rock and roll ("Motivate") and blends genres throughout the album. The simple and solemn "Silence" closes the album with a soft and tender ballad. Producer David Kahne - who has worked with everyone from Paul McCartney to Fishbone - gives an able assist to "Light's" skimming of styles.
But it all comes down to Matisyahu himself. On "Light," he proves he is here for keeps. The winter Olympics made his best song here, the spiritual call to arms of "One Day," unavoidable. If the release of the album managed to slip under your radar, rest assured that "Light" is worth a few spins on your disc player.
 Matisyahu: Light. Worth the Ten BucksMar 04, 2010
I have three of Matisyahu's album's, this one def. ranks as the most electronic of the three. Mostly departing from traditional drums, bass, guitar etc. most of the tracks are produced from computers, pro-tools or whatever programs Matis. & the producers use. Not an expert on dance music, but this album ranks up there w/ some of the better stuff I've heard. It sounds a lot like the stuff he did w/ The Crystal Method " Drown in the Now". Def. still hip-hop, but I wouldn't categorize it as reggae.
Matisyahu also departs from his first studio album in terms of content on Light. Most of his previous stuff dealt w/ the Old Testament and religious tales. Light, while every bit as uplifting and positive, seems to deal w/ more everyday issuse in the artists continuing life.
Overall Light is worth every bit of the ten bucks I paid on Amazon to get it and it has been in heavy rotation in my car cd player since I got it. Metta.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Sorry MY, not my cup of teaMar 03, 2010
It was kind of bizarre, don't you think? It wasn't what I was used to. I liked Live at Stubb's by far the best and then Youth had about 4 or 5 good songs on it, but this is just very strange and nothing like what I am used to when it comes to Matisyahu. I wish he would just do live albums because that is where you really hear his passion and voice. All these overproduced studio records that are out today kind of take away from the singer and give power to all these crazy things happening in the background. Smash Lies is a decent song, but I find it to be too busy. The only song that I truly love is One Day. I just find it a little disappointing, but he is just trying to experiment with different styles and grow as an artist and some people will love it. Interesting, but not, as others have referred to him as, "jam band." I wish he would get back to his roots and sing more roots reggae/standard rock, not this muddling of weird noises all put together just to be more different than he already is. Well, I sure hope he wins me back. At least I have 2 other of his albums to listen to that have great tracks on them.
Better luck next time.
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