PRINTHear This: Matisyahu and Mike Viola
July 12, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Spark Seeker
Matisyahu
Released: July 17
Madonna reinvented herself. Thoreau lived at Walden Pond. And now with Spark Seeker, hip-hop and reggae fusion artist Matisyahu stands at a “Crossroads” (the album’s opening track) of spiritual discovery. Stylistically, the new music is more upbeat and electronic than his other three studio albums, but that’s not the only change. Matisyahu made waves in December by shaving off his trademark beard. If the driving tempo in “Sunshine” and optimistic lyrics of “I Believe In Love” are any indication of the direction he’s headed, it’s a promising one.
Acousto de Perfecto
Mike Viola
Released: July 17
The name of this singer-songwriter might not ring any bells, but there’s a good chance his voice will. As the lead vocalist behind That Thing You Do! and the songwriter of the soundtracks for Get Him To The Greek and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Mike Viola has been heard by millions. His latest album, filled with coffee-shop pop tunes such as “Soundtrack of My Summer” and “Hair of the Dog,” is a perfect fit for air-conditioned easy listening — think not as weepy as Glen Hansard but more mellow than Eric Hutchinson.
