Light
by Matisyahu
  • Record Label: Sony
  • Release Date: Aug 25, 2009
Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. Q Magazine
    60
    On his incredibly busy album, Light, there are signs of diversification too. [Jul 2010, p.140]
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  2. Rolling Stone
    50
    On bright pleasures like the New Wave-y 'We Will Walk,' Light comes close to becoming an attention-holding pop album. But it's dragged into earnest tedium by good-natured platitudes hippie-soul moments like 'Thunder,' on which Matisyeezy sounds like a self-serious indie rapper with a major vegan bent.
  3. Slant Magazine
    50
    While working his broad sonic palette with ingenuity and verve, he sacrifices the opportunity to develop a sound that is truly his own. Light ends up with exciting moments, but few memorable songs.
  5. Spin
    60
    Devotees from Matisyahu's jam-scene days might balk, but fans of the Black Eyed Peas/Jack Johnson collabo "Gone Going" will rejoice.
  6. The A.V. Club
    42
    Like the former Fugees mastermind, Matisyahu carries the curse of burying his true brilliance in too much pop schlock.
  7. PopMatters
    50
    Ultimately, Matisyahu's latest plays like an experiment in reinvention rather than a fully-realized piece of musicianship, seemingly more concerned with sounding commercially viable and dancehall-ready than operating as a musically-competent catalyst for hopeful moralism.
  8. musicOMH.com
    50
    For someone who has a lot to say and is such a unique figure in music, it's a disappointment that Light isn't as captivating as it should be.
  9. New Musical Express (NME)
    40
    This barrage of generalised morality is cozened by overwrought production that sees the sun-baked reggae backbone of his previous efforts stripped out to make way for a confusing hotch-potch of styles and an overwhelming sense of desperation.
  10. The Guardian
    60
    He's aiming for a wider crossover audience with a blend of dancehall, rap and rock guitar solos. Several tracks have the kind of mobile-waving choruses you'd normally associate with a boy band.
  11. Mojo
    60
    More stirring are te rougher dancehall textures of Smash Lies and Darkness Into Light's crunching guitars and soaring rock chorus. The latter produces the unsettling, but not unwelcome, result of resembling Soundgarden after a course of toasting lessons. [Jul 200, p.103]
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. GregQ
    Aug 27, 2009
    8
    More accessible than his last album, Matisyahu is still a breath of fresh air (and a great, all-audience artist) in the More accessible than his last album, Matisyahu is still a breath of fresh air (and a great, all-audience artist) in the reggae/hip-hop/dancehall realm.… Full Review »
  2. HaimReviews
    Jul 27, 2015
    8
    Matisyahu, by this point, was heading in a more pop direction which is shown more clearly in his follow-up Spark Seeker. This album is aMatisyahu, by this point, was heading in a more pop direction which is shown more clearly in his follow-up Spark Seeker. This album is a fantastic display of Matisyahu's uniqueness mixed with pop energy. Each track is unique and an exploration of new sound. One Day will live on as one of Matisyahu's biggest hits for a reason, it is extremely powerful. The strange combination of rock, pop, reggae and rap works extremely well and even the strangeness of Smash Lies (the first track) is somewhat intriguing yet an acquired taste. Put simply, this album isn't for everyone but is definitely worth a listen.… Full Review »
  3. spadenx
    Jan 19, 2012
    0
    Its just as trashy as I remember it after I listened to it a second time. I really dont know what Matisyahu was thinking. The album is soIts just as trashy as I remember it after I listened to it a second time. I really dont know what Matisyahu was thinking. The album is so mainstream and pop and nothing compared to his previous work.… Full Review »
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