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Youth (Epic, 2006)

Matisyahu acted quickly to build on the momentum of Live at Stubb's, releasing Youth less than a year later (granted, that's a snail's pace compared to, say, Sizzla), and while I don't find the set particularly thrilling, I can't say it's because of the short turnaround time. This is just who Matisyahu is; either you like him or you don't. I, for one, will pass. The whole rap/rock/reggae (and in Youth's case, add pop/folk/Afro-pop) hybrid, regardless of who the artist is, is a tricky venture. It runs the risk of sounding like a bunch of college kids with too much time (and too much alcohol) on their hands sitting around thinking of all of the types of music they like, when someone yells, "Hey! Let's start a band!" One thing these acts overlook, though, is that just because you like to listen to a certain style of music doesn't mean you should perform it. Pat Boone may well be into gangsta rap, but we'll never know, will we? That's all part of his genius. That said, Youth doesn't escape this trap. There are bits and pieces of good songs on the album -- mostly the music, courtesy of backing band Roots Tonic, plus a few nice choruses, as on the opening tune, "Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth." But this track introduces a recurring theme on the album: that is, Matisyahu sabotaging his own material. In this song's case, he decides to rap on the bridge. "Dispatch the Troops," "Indestructible," and "Unique Is My Dove" each have a catchy hook...if only we didn't have to hear him perform the rest of the song. His voice is just...dorky. It sounds like a cross between Snow, "Weird" Al Yankovic, and a hip-hop rapper stuck in the early '90s (Diggity diggity Das EFX?). Plus, the songs themselves are a notch below the already mediocre Stubb's. The title track begins with an ethereal roots vibe, but segues into something striving to be a rock opera with a corny chorus that sounds like the theme to an angsty Disney Channel movie: "Young man, the power's in your hands; / Slam your fist on the table and make your demand." The rap tune "WP" is just a mess with a "deep" chorus that conjures up thoughts of PM Dawn, while "Late Night in Zion" is a limp Simon & Garfunkel-striving ballad. "Time of Your Song" is one of the few tracks where Matisyahu doesn't sabotage himself, although you have to get past the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony overtones. "Jerusalem" isn't bad either, but the bouncy pop-hip-hop music -- more suited to Kylie Minogue -- undermines the seriousness of the message. "King Without a Crown" is probably the best-known tune and is OK, but it reminds me of what I wondered when I first saw him perform it on any of a dozen TV shows: "What's the big deal?" It all goes back to the fact that this is music for reggae tourists who just want to hear a smidgen of this "exotic" sound within the comfort of music they're more at home with, from rock to pop to hip-hop to folk. That said, if you liked Stubb's and don't mind Matisyahu's Trekkie voice, you'll probably enjoy Youth well enough although it's not quite as sharp. Just use your headphones if you're around me.