Matisyahu releases

Grammy-nominated Reggae artist Matisyahu has officially released his sixth studio album, Undercurrent! Undercurrent is musically Matisyahu’s most courageous release to date and lyrically his most vulnerable. Nearly thirteen years after the release of his first studio record, Matisyahu and his band have done something unmatched in his past repertoire. Touching on the significance of this new recording experience, Matisyahu explains. “This is the first album I’ve made that is produced by myself and the band without any outside forces involved. It’s my baby. No compromises, full artistic integrity.” The vulnerability felt throughout the lyrical narrative comes from acceptance in uncertainty. Matisyahu explains, “This record is like, Abraham’s walk back down the mountain. After he’s made this kind of breakthrough experience, like how does he now come back to life? And that’s kind of what this period of time in my life has been all about. Like “Okay, now you broke out of bad relationships, bad habits, religious practices that weren’t working for you, philosophical, you know, mental ties that you had to things.” And, and then it’s like, “Okay, where are you now?” You know? And that’s kind of what this record is.” The level of interplay between Matisyahu and his band mates on Undercurrent is unquestionable - with each replay, the album reveals a guitar line from longtime guitarist, Aaron Dugan, which elevates a vocal melody that only 15 years of experience together can achieve. Keyboard patterns from BigYuki unrealized in a previous listen connect one song to another and the full band improvisations with Dub Trio bassist and drummer Stu Brooks and Joe Tomino climax with an impressive exploratory section on the record’s final track Driftin. With this album, Matisyahu and his band have achieved a musical retelling of the Matisyahu story that explores the forces within that inspire us all, challenge us all, break us down, lift us up, and yet are rarely obvious to the outside observer. Ultimately, Undercurrent is a fully realized concept album crafted by a band-of-brothers who have learned to hold a conversation that is both comforting and challenging at the same time. It plays like a revelatory session with a great psychotherapist. (gratefulweb)