Angry Birds Riddim – Dam Rude Records

By 2013, Dam Rude Records had this one moving with a compact, four-cut reggae pack that leans more on mood than on spectacle, and that economy gives the Angry Birds Riddim its bite. Iyara’s “Friend Fi Life” and Lutan Fyah’s “Release” sit over a warm, skanking groove with enough edge in the bass to keep it rooted in rootsier dancehall territory, while Navino’s “Always There” smooths things out without losing the tension. Jay-A’s “A-Di Yutes Dem Hungry” adds a harder social note in the middle, which helps the set feel a little more pointed than a typical juggling. It’s the kind of small-scale producer project that leaves room for each vocal to breathe, and the instrumental ties the whole thing together cleanly at the end.