Matisyahu - Youth

It should have been so beautiful. Reggae has this tremendous potential for spirituality in its easy going skank. Combinations with Judaism might seem obvious, and albums such as Bill Laswell's dub reworkings of Jewish prayers, 'Adonai in Dub (Tzadik)', is an awesome melding of two styles whose roots are deeply intertwined. So the Hasidic reggae of Matisyahu, overseen by Laswell, was a potential blast. Unfortunately, it plays desperate for airplay, and ends up sounding like Craig David crossed with Sean Paul - although with occasional forays into Sublime soundalikey - while the beats are so ridiculously overproduced, they're almost unlistenably cheesy. Matisyahu is a very talented singer and beatboxer, but we can only hope that he comes up with tracks better than this, lest he be labeled a "gimmick". Because as it stands, this is spiritually vacant music for New Look changing rooms. [Ali Maloney]