Youth by Matisyahu

So, on the other side of the Atlantic, the bissest Sellins reggae artist at present is a 24 year old. 6ft 4in tall Hasidic Jew (you can tell this by his long beard and traditional garb). It's fair to say Matisyahu really doesn't look like your average chart topper and, unsurprisingly, he doesn't sound like one either. Blending the melodic majesty of Bob Marley, the slick production values of contemporary American R&B and hip-hop and rugged, almost Jamaican accented rhymes, Matisyahu's studio debut succeeds in being accessible, yet at the same time sounds unlike anything else on earth. The likes of ‘Fire Of Heaven/Altar Of Earth‘ may occasionally veer into over polished territory but, even forgetting the unique nature of its creator, ‘Youth’ is still a striking, articulate debut album.