If you’re looking for a nice, feel good album to sit back and kick it while basking in lyrics like “all my life I’ve been waiting for, I’ve been praying for, for the people to say, that we don’t want to fight no more, there’ll be no more wars, and our children will play, one day.,” then “Light,” the third studio album from Hasidic Jew/Reggae chart-topper Matisyahu, is for you.This album goes all over the place in sounds. The first track, “Smash Lies,” might lead you into thinking this is a snare filled hip-hop album. (If you don’t like hip-hop, don’t let that turn you away from the rest of the album.)
The next track brings you back on the level we’re used to seeing with Matisyahu. “We Will Walk” brings a warm feeling inside that makes you think of that special someone that we all dream about with lyrics like “You are the only good thing that I have ever done, we will walk until my blood runs out, until my heart is burned you are not alone.”
In my opinion it kind of feels as if he is always just preaching to us, the listener, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a famous musician who happens to be very religious.
The lead single, “One Day” (lyrics from 1st paragraph), inspires change, hope, peace or at least some kind of happiness (unless you’re just full of hate): “Sometimes in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down, so when negativity surrounds, I know someday it’ll all turn around.”
Usually the lead singles off everyone’s albums get overplayed like crazy and are often too catchy in my opinion, but this is a song I could listen to every morning and never get sick of.
“Struggla” has a sweet reggaeish/Indian cymbal sound that came crawling out of “The White Album.”
I honestly don’t know why someone would say anything bad about this album. You may not like reggae or how religious he might seem, but it’s all about being good. He isn’t out there rapping about violence or hate of any kind. He is giving out good vibes and sending out a good message.
If you don’t give this album a try, I feel sorry for you.