Contemporary Christian musicians can join under the CCM flag, but what happens when similarly themed spiritual music is played by Jews? There isn't a "CJM" tag yet, but if there was, that's where the reggae/hip-hop heavy
Matisyahu and this talented trio would land. The group's eighth release follows its Best Of compilation by a year and finds the threesome slimming down its name by losing "band" and moving from a more folksy approach to a fuller electronic/worldbeat, heavily influenced by
Peter Gabriel. Sung predominantly in English with occasional forays into Hebrew, the sound is propulsive, full, and filled with Middle Eastern chord changes. Driven by a percussive heavy style (
Critters Buggin' and well-known session drummer
Matt Chamberlain assists on a few tracks) and a slick but non-commercial sheen, Moshav keeps its spiritually based lyrics ambiguous enough to apply to any religion. Occasional clunkers such as the clichéd "Heart Is Open" notwithstanding, tracks like the moody "Abba Shimon" mesh a traditional Jewish style with sweeping electric guitars and arena-filling sound. The result sounds entirely natural in its ability to blend the time-honored and contemporary without losing sight of pop song structure. No fewer than 11 guest musicians spread out through the 13 tunes bolster the music, but the
Eddie Vedder-styled vocals strike a successful balance between radio-ready and the songs' more intimate concepts. A snappy cover of
Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon" is a highlight of this engaging album, due to
Waits visually arresting lyrics and how Moshav bends its melody to highlight the song's Middle Eastern influences. Some material is a bit undercooked and/or sappy, but in general this makes an excellent introduction to a group that, along with
Matisyahu, has the talent to introduce the Western world to a vibrant and innovative combination of styles. ~ Hal Horowitz