When a talented recording artist keeps the faith album after album, it's an impressive testament to his devotion. If he doesn't learn to diversify his message, however, he's left preaching to the choir.
Hasidic Jew Matisyahu released his "Live in Israel" DVD along with "No Place to Be," a CD of seven "new" tracks, on Dec. 26. Just to give listeners an idea as to how fresh these tracks are, four of them are titled as follows: "Jerusalem (Out of the Darkness Comes Light)," "Jerusalem (Swisha House Mix)," "Message in a Bottle" and "Message in a Bottle (Dub Version)."
This oversaturated package also includes a bonus music video of "Jerusalem" directed by Motion Theory. In the video, shadowed figures are shown caressing a collage of photographs referencing the Holocaust, the American Civil Rights Movement and Matisyahu's terrible twos. It's supposed to be touching.
The segmented interviews incorporated into the live DVD reveal that Matisyahu finds it impossible to separate his musical inclinations from his culture. Music is as much a part of him as he is a part of music, despite his dedication to the reputable but rather rigid Hebrew texts.
For two years Matisyahu retired from being MC Truth in order to be a master of return, or baal teshuva, and eventually earned himself membership into the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community. Even though his current lifestyle contradicts much of the Hebrew teachings, he is relentlessly dedicated to learning about and celebrating his heritage. His pensive nature is reflected within his lyricism but also throughout his interviews.
"Something that I've been thinking a lot about lately because I get the benefit of people asking me all the time, like 'What's the message?'" he says at one point. "I think that at this point the most important thing is to not be certain about what the message is, because I feel like once you know, once you're like 'I found it and this is it.' Then that's when people will stop listening."
"I think partially what I'm representing is the search for the message," he resolved.
Matisyahu appropriately opens his concert with Marley's "Rastaman Chant," quite possibly to address the multicultural appeal of speaking in tongues. The performance includes all of his hits: "Lord Raise Me Up," "Chop 'Em Down" and "King Without a Crown," as well as a poignant version of "Dispatch the Troops."
The DVD is stratified with layers of interviews, interludes, beat boxing and jam sessions with his backing band Roots Tonic. If it weren't for these planned and edited interruptions, the various songs would all trickle into the same gushing incantation, with the exception of "Late Night in Zion," due to its lethargic pace.
If fans don't already own "Live at Stubb's," the only advantage of owning this DVD is being able to watch the demons flow out of Aaron Dugan's guitar. Otherwise, it's for collectors only.
It's probably safe to say that all of Matisyahu's live music is superior to his studio recordings, which, by default, make "Live in Israel" another feather in his cap.
The live arena causes his vocals to resonate in an admirably organic way. The mere nanometers of emptiness he leaves between his lyrics are filled in by the earnest chugging and plugging of Roots Tonic, whereas the studio productions are fabricated and garnished with all sorts of synthetic noise.
Even if Matisyahu's reggae/rap/ska free style dissipates into bearded novelty, it will remain a wonder as to how he stays deeply embedded in both spirituality and pop culture without quaking.
When asked what he wants, Matisyahu unfalteringly reveals, "What I want is the revelation of God in this world and in myself."
