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Light
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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

  • Summary: The third album for the New York-based reggae artist was produced by David Kahne.

Top Track

One Day
Sometimes I lay Under the moon And thank God I'm breathing Then I pray Don't take me soon 'Cause I am here for a reason Sometimes in my tears I... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. AllMusic
    80
    Add Kahne's instantly accessible production and Light is not only a welcome surprise, but an album that matches his debut.
  2. Paste Magazine
    80
    Reggae and spiritual self-improvement remain Matisyahu's foundation, but they're increasingly buried in the mix, allowing him to focus on his developing ear as a pop songwriter. Add in a few banjos, clarinets and a children's choir, and you've got an eclectic album that's unrepentantly over the top.
  3. Billboard.com
    72
    He may still sport the same look, but stylistically his new music proves that he's not a one-trick pony.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Uncut
    20
    Light is a dog's breakfast of weedy vocals, preachy platitudes and banal melodies that makes Sting sound like The Last Poets. [Jul 2010, p.112]
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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  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.… Expand
  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.… Expand
  4. 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.… Expand