Positive messages are very hard to come by these days. So much music is dark and draining or just pop produced garbage. Then every now and then an album is released that cutes through the darkness and uplifts those who are depressed and downtrodden. Light by the orthodox jew reggae sensation Matisyahu is one of those albums. The album was suggested to me by a close friend of mine when I was down, three songs in I was smiling and couldn't find any reason to frown.
The album pulls on both reggae and Jewish themes in its sound. The album has chants that makes the listener feel like they are in a synagogue. Couple that with the reggae sounds that the guitars and the drums create and sprinkle in a bit of beat boxing and you have an album that is complete in every aspect.
The first song you have to mention is One Day. The song is so melodic and epic in proportion. The vocals are clean and uncovered for the majority of the song forming harmonies and making me want an acoustic version to be released. The keyboards and the strings mix with the percussion and the guitars and underneath it all is a message of hope that makes the listener smile.
The next song on the list is Smash Lies. Filling more like a club hopping R&B hit than the ballad previously mentioned, the song has a fast tempo that leaves the listener bobbing their heads to the beat. The rhyme play, the folk guitar, and the back beats are not to be ignored. Like every other song on the album this song carries a positive message that is full of positive outlook.
Motivate is a song that feels rather more like a blues song than a reggae jam. That is until you get into the verse where the reggae music comes through to make you move. But the guitar theme that is repeated through out the piece makes you think that you are listening to the blues. The guitar solo is nothing to be ignored, adding to both the blues and the reggae tone of the song.
The last song I'm going to mention isn't even exclusively Matisyahu, it is actually by The Crystal Method. These remix artists have teamed up with the reggae star to make a club hit that you can't stop listening to. The synths and the keys make the song feel industrial but the drum beat makes it feel natural. It all comes together to make an amazing song.
I feel kind of bad because every song on this album is amazing. You have to listen it end to end to even begin to fathom how epic the album as a whole is.
Always Listening,
Nick
