Acoustic Love Riddim – Irie Sounds International

Soft strum, easy sway. Acoustic Love Riddim finds Irie Sounds International leaning into a warmer, rootsier lovers-rock mood, with Frankie Paul’s “Morning Light” and Warrior King’s “Your Love Is Amazing” doing a lot of the heavy lifting while Stevie Face and Fred Locks keep the sentiment sweet without tipping into syrup. It’s a neat follow-on to the label’s earlier In Love riddim, only here the acoustic edge gives the whole set a more intimate, backyard-session feel instead of a polished dancehall sheen. The June 16, 2015 release also folds in Joshua Hales, Steve Steppa, and Likkle Shanx, plus an instrumental cut, so the lineup stays compact and focused. In Irie Sounds International’s catalogue, this sits comfortably among their more heartfelt reggae projects, the kind that keeps the guitars front and center and lets the vocals do the talking.