Youth

Personnel: Matisyahu (vocals); Roots Tonic.
Recording information: Orange Sound, West Orange, New Jersey.
Following up his much-heralded live album and a prominent guest appearance on P.O.D.'s TESTIFY, Hasidic reggae singer Matisyahu unveiled his major-label studio debut, YOUTH, in early 2006. Primarily produced by Bill Laswell (something of an avant-garde equivalent to Rick Rubin), this 2006 outing finds Matisyahu backed by his LIVE AT STUBBS ensemble (here dubbed Roots Tonic), which can turn on a dime from dancehall to heavy rock. Although labeled by some as a novelty act, Matisyahu presents his unusual musical hybrid with passion, whether charging through the fierce, Bad Brains-like title track or plaintively crooning on the acoustic "What I'm Fighting For" (which strongly recalls Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"), proving that his attempts to reach out and transcend musical and cultural boundaries are, if nothing else, genuine.

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