Matisyahu, 'Light'

Release date: August 25, 2009
Record label: Epic
Official Web site: http://www.matisyahuworld.com/

The buzz: Matthew “Matisyahu” Miller landed on most people’s radar in 2005, when his concert album, “Live at Stubb’s,” introduced the world to the bushy-bearded Hasidic Jewish reggae singer-rapper with the stunningly nimble mic skills. Once the novelty value wore off, fans were left with a galvanizing live performer whose material didn’t always live up to his talent. Two years in the making, his third album, “Light,” features production by reggae legends Sly and Robbie and members of funk-rockers Fishbone.

The verdict: A wildly uneven LP, “Light” is heavy on flash but short on most of what made Matisyahu a star in the first place. It offers everything from straightforward, urban radio–courting hip-hop (“Smash Lies”) to feel-good pop schlock (lead single “One Day,” which sounds like the Black Eyed Peas attempting reggae) but none of the loose-limbed jams that made “Live at Stubb’s” such a memorable showcase for this unique talent. Some of the deeper cuts are more adventurous, especially the dancehall-sampling “Struggla” and “On Nature,” which rocks a nifty guitar hook, children’s chorus and bagpipes (!) for the album’s most original rock/rap/reggae hybrid. If more of “Light” sounded as vital as “On Nature,” it would be a revelation—instead, it seems like the work of an artist still striving to find a style to call his own.

Did you know? That’s Matisyahu rapping on the latest Crystal Method single, “Drown in the Now”—and sounding more inspired than he does on half the tracks on his own album.

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