Matisyahu - Youth

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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.