Matisyahu - Youth

Mon 7th Aug, 2006 in Music Reviews

A few years back now a rather famous Irish band on a rather famous live album declared of one of their many rather famous songs that ‘there’s been a lot of talk about this next song….perhaps too much talk’.  One can’t help but think of that quote when writing about Matisyahu.  Perhaps to the detriment of the music itself too much of the discussion of Youth has inevitably settled on his background and religion.  So by now I’ll assume you all know he’s a Hasidic Jew with a penchant for reggae and focus on the music itself.

Youth is the major label debut for Matisyahu, known to his mother as Matthew Miller.  It follows his 2004 debut Shake off the Dust…Arise and his breakthrough album Live at Stubbs.  What is immediately obvious, especially with the title track, is the extra production the songs have been given by Bill Laswell- Youth opens with a blast of sound which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Limp Bizkit record before edging back into more familiar territory.  It is a misrepresentation of an artist and his band whose power lies in a very different sphere to simply being as loud and obnoxious as they possibly can.

His biggest hit single to date, ‘King Without a Crown’, also reappears here.  This more radio friendly version is shortened by two minutes and lacks a lot of the power of the original, and one can’t help but see it as part of an attempt to push Youth as Matisyahu’s real debut album.  It’s a testament to the strength of the song that it is still the best song on offer here.

Nonetheless, it’s not fair to judge the album on these two minor missteps.  Tracks like ‘Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth’ and ‘Jerusalem’ are as catchy and inspired as ‘King Without a Crown’, but ultimately the feeling I get from Youth is that of an artist who has found unexpected fame and his material is still coming to terms with it.  This is by no means whatsoever a bad album, but it’s easy to get the impression that Matisyahu’s next album will either make or break him.

The recently released Australian tour edition of Youth also includes a bonus CD of remixes- featuring Mike D of the Beastie Boys’ take on King Without a Crown.