Concord All Stars – Shellys Records

Low-slung and loose, this Shelly’s Records cut from the early ’80s has that grubby, late-night dancehall feel where the bassline does the heavy lifting and the singers circle it with attitude. Echo Minott’s “Sex You Up” is the one that catches quickest, sitting right in the pocket of a riddim that also gives Anthony Haughton two turns and lets Sister Charmaine close things out with “Trailer Load A Man, ” a nice reminder that this was the era when deejays and singers were sharing the same space without anyone sounding out of place. Ten tracks in all, nine voices riding the same groove, and the whole thing has that dug-up-from-the-vaults charm that makes these old Shellly’s sides so easy to get lost in.