Likewise, on 'When The Smoke Clears', Matisyahu sensitively sings ', Music is the only thing in this crazy world that makes sense to me'. O 'Music is the Anthem' Matisyahu describes music as 'shelter from overexposure'. A ross this self-titled offering, Matisyahu more than shows his gratitude for music in recent times and throughout his life. Matisyahu immediately dismisses this on the LP opener 'Not Regular' as he sings ', no I'm not regular, no I'm not secular….' Other songs, including 'Lonely Day, 'have retrospective halcyon themes, including playing with his Star Wars gun as a child, taking LSD, and writing at the Nuyorican Poets Café.įor many artists and listeners, having music in their lives is sacrosanct. Some may interpret Matisyahu collaborating with female vocalist Juliana Ronderos on this LP as a lapse of faith and surrender to secularism. By collaborating with the Columbian production duo and band Salt Cathedral (Juliana Ronderos and Nicolás Losada), Matisyahu has created an album with detailed, minimalist sound, which radiates euphoric, elating energy. Matisyahu's seventh self-titled LP sees him invite people of all faiths or none to see him make deft word plays on Hebrew vocabulary whilst being guided by King Solomon's wisdom. Whilst Matisyahu no longer wears ultra-orthodox garments and is now clean-shaven with dyed hair, his Jewish faith continues to guide him and influence his songwriting.

More detailed write-ups on the full lengths albums that captivated me this year are to follow, but for now, here’s a haphazard list I’ve compiled of 100 songs that moved me this year… some physically, some emotionally, some both.įor those who’d like to follow along and listen to some of my picks, I’ve compiled a playlist (limited to one song per artist, because it’s crazy long enough already), that hits a lot of the year’s highlights, in roughly the order I came to discover them.In 2006 Later with Jools, Holland introduced a unique artist most in the UK had never seen before: a young Jewish man from America in his mid-twenties wearing ultra-orthodox clothing who could beatbox, rap and sing songs with a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop and inventive pop. It’s time to kick off my yearly obsession with counting things that it really makes no sense to put in order.

Matisyahu albums list