The past two years have been fraught with excitement and challenges for Matisyahu and his band mates. Since the release of his 2004 debut, shake off the dust… ARISE and the phenomenal success of last year's Live At Stubb's and the single "King Without A Crown," Matisyahu has continued to bring his uncanny, electrifying fusion of orthodox Judaism and classic reggae music to millions of new listeners. Now, Matisyahu reflects and draws upon the myriad experiences that have led him to this pinnacle on his sophomore studio album, Youth.
 
Youth is a compelling mix of ancient and modern sounds and ideas. The propulsive title track, with its rallying cry "youth is the engine of the world," draws upon Matisyahu's studies of Chabad Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn – as well as his own tumultuous past. "When teenagers rebel, the reason is because there is something wrong. Not with them, but with the environment around them. Yet they aren't advanced enough to figure out what it is, and how to make it better.That song is about making the transition from being an angry teenager, to actually becoming a grown man or a woman, changing yourself and the system around you."
 
The rising star knows of the struggle of which he speaks. Born in West Chester, PA and raised in White Plains, NY, the young man formerly known as Matthew Miller would undertake a monumental odyssey before discovering his new identity – and voice – as Matisyahu (the Hebrew version of "Matthew," and the name he adopted upon becoming observant). Via adventures in Colorado, Israel, Oregon, and New York City, he not only heard a profound spiritual calling, but also discerned a revolutionary way to share his discoveries and reflections, via the reggae and hip-hop sounds that had long been an integral part of his day-to-day soundtrack. On Youth, Matisyahu expands his musical universe. One moment his voice is gently lilting, the next rousing and declamatory, or flowing along at a lickety-split clip. Likewise, the character of the album's thirteen new songs spans a wide gamut. (Capping Youth is a studio version of his breakout hit, "King Without A Crown," which will be issued as the lead single.) With its stark arrangement for voice and acoustic guitar, the stirring "What I'm Fighting For" recalls Bob Marley's immortal "Redemption Song," while "Ancient Lullabye" laces its syncopated reggae rhythms with wordless Hasidic melodies. Bolstered by bumping beats and burbling bass, "Jerusalem" and "Indestructable" are fresh and ebullient calls to the dance floor. The latter, with its reiterated lyrical incantation, "It seems that you believe in me," echoes Matisyahu's feelings about his successes.
 
"I don't see myself as that truly advanced, but G-d put this whole thing in my lap," he demurs. "I feel almost like I have a parent who has given me a great opportunity, a father saying he has completely confidence in you."
 
"Lyrically, I wanted to expand on ideas that I touched upon on the first album, to get deeper into those things, to get to the essence," he adds of the aesthetic leap forward. "And musically, we wanted to give everyone in the band the opportunity to feel like this was their project. Every member of the band wrote the music together, different people brought different things to the table, and everyone wrote music together." Out of this confluence of intuitive musical interaction (honed via months of non-stop touring), and new ideas waiting to finally be given voice, the heightened dynamics of Youth sprang forth.
 
"When we made the Live At Stubb's album, we had been touring for over a year and a half, and we really wanted to capture the energy from our live show." And, in turn, making that document allowed the band to turn their attentions more fully to writing and fine-tuning Youth. "After playing so many shows, we got to shift our focus, artistically, and go into the studio and do overdubs and really paint with all types of colors.
 
Youth was recorded during the summer months of 2005, under the guidance of celebratedproducer, bassist, and reggae enthusiast Bill Laswell. With an eclectic résumé that includes working with artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Sly + Robbie, Iggy Pop, Pharaoh Saunders, and Bootsy Collins, as well as remixing the classic Trojan Records reggae catalog, Laswell proved an ideal foil for the unique group. Adding heightened dynamics and dimension, three tracks – "Time of Your Song," plus the aforementioned "Indestructible" and "Jerusalem" – were produced by Ill Factor (Ginuwine) and Jimmy Douglass (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Destiny's Child) "Bill has an almost Zen-like approach," observes Matisyahu. "He doesn't make you go back and do things over and over again. He does, however, have a great sense, when you're all finished playing, whether that take is 'the one' or not. You get the sense that he really knows what he's doing, but at the same time, he leaves enough space for the creative process to happen." Regardless of religious affiliation, most artists will tell you that the creative force is special type of divinity that moves through them. Matisyahu simply seeks to serve as a conduit for the messages of peace and unity that flow through him, to improve the world the world by sharing his music, and without letting ego or worldly desires interfere in that communication. "That's what I'm aiming for," he admits. "I don't think I've fully gotten there, but that's the goal." And with Youth, he makes a quantum leap closer to attaining it.