Express Love Riddim – Yah Man Records

Richie Stephens is the obvious anchor here, and his “Place Call Salento” gives the Express Love Riddim a little extra lift, with that veteran warmth sitting right in the middle of Yah Man Records’ 2017 selection. The riddim itself has a live, rootsy feel rather than a stiff computer pulse, which makes sense once you know it was cut in Salento with Morello Selecta alongside local players on guitar, keys, bass and drums. That earthy backdrop lets voices like Carlton Livingston on “Still Single” and Sandra Cross on “Dancing the Night Away” come through with real character, while Blass keeps “Smiling Faces” moving with a brighter edge. It’s a tidy eight-track set, with Reddman UK and Ras TT, Ras Fraser Jr. adding a more contemporary UK-rooted touch, and Richie’s cut still feels like the one that ties the whole thing together.