In case you haven't heard of Matisyahu, he's the Hasidic Jewish reggae/rapper who's been getting the most buzz (with the millions of Jewish rappers out there it's hard to keep track of them all.) But let's dispense with the novelty of his unusual background and talk about whether the record's any good.

Musically speaking, Matisyahu's sophomore effort Youth is a solid set of reggae/rap, with just enough diversity to hint at better things to come. The band is energetic, and Matisyahu's a decent beat-boxer, though it can sound silly when used inappropriately, like in "Time of Your Song." He's got a softer side, too, like the acoustic "What I'm Fighting For." Though the spiritual message is simple, it's refreshing to hear someone unafraid to deliver it with emotion and conviction.

One pitfall of spiritual music is that it risks sounding preachy instead of motivational. Matisyahu largely avoids this, though there are a few cringe-worthy moments; there's a spoken-word interlude in "WP" of "No more war/There won't be anymore hunger/No jealousy/Not even competition," that I suspect would cause even the most pious Hasidic to groan a little.

Mostly, though, Matisyahu delivers a lot of energy. "Young man, control in your hand/Slam your fist on the table and make your demand," Matisyahu spits on the single "Youth," coming a lot closer to inspiring than grating. "King Without a Crown," a cut from his first album and re-invented on the career-making album Live at Stubb's, finally gets a proper studio recording.

Matisyahu got listeners here for the novelty, but they'll probably stick around for the music. It's not a great record, but it's a good one, and indicates that Matisyahu is a sincere musician with a message. Hopefully he can get past the novelty to deliver it. Grade: B-

-- Reviewed by Dustin Pangonis