Christmas Reggae Riddim – Various Artists

Holiday warmth, but with a little roots pressure underneath: Christmas Reggae Riddim is a 2007 various-artists set with 10 cuts, and the opener medley plus the version cut frame the whole thing like a proper seasonal sound system plate. Queen Omega’s “Light The Colly Tree” gives the riddim its sharpest lift, while Khari Kill and Fireball keep the vibe moving with that easy, late-2000s conscious reggae touch. There’s a nice contrast too between the group effort on “Bring Back The Love” and the more straightforward solo turns, which makes the set feel less like background Christmas fare and more like a quick snapshot of how reggae was handling the season that year, right down to the little skank in the arrangements.