Matisyahu’s wheelhouse is being a novelty act. He can’t help it. But, unlike most novelty acts, Matisyahu has just released his third studio album. Part of his abilities seem to stem from his uncanny ability to know when to jump ship.

For the last five years Matisyahu has been happily carving a niche for himself in the jam-band/laid-back dorm-rock world, creating songs that nestle nicely in playlists between Dispatch, Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson.

But with his latest release, Light, Matisyahu is forging towards new territory. While not fully abandoning his college kid fans, his latest effort represents a big step toward a more radio-friendly hip-hop vibe.

Not that America’s favorite Hasidic Jew (probably true) has dropped his religiosity or abandoned his passion for reggae and toasting. Rather, he has made strides toward toning down the God-fearing elements of his music and made an album that more frequently borrows from the bag of top-forty hip-hop tricks.

This is not a bad thing. However, like most chart-baiting musical efforts, Light is front-loaded with potential hits/singles, kicking things off with the fiery “Smash Lies” and the beautiful, ballad-y “We Will Walk.”

That isn’t to say the remaining eleven songs are a slog. The whole album is pleasant, and late track “On Nature” is particularly excellent, a meditation on mortality that finds Matisyahu in the company of an optimistically-morbid children’s choir.

The album closer, “Silence,” is a thoughtful  track that showcases the whisper-y best of Hasidic reggae. However, that “best” is only relative to the album it is couched in. For a definitive statement on why (if, indeed you could find it so) Matisyahu is worth listening to, Youth is a more worthy introduction to the music and madness of Matisyahu.

Much like Matisyahu’s career-arc, the best I can say about Light is this: come for the novelty, stay for the songs.