Cool Fire Riddim (2012) – St Bess Records

Cool Fire Riddim comes in lean and focused, with just five cuts and a clean 2012 reggae feel rather than a crowded showcase. Jah Rooti’s “Can’t Stop deh Yute Yah” is the tune that gives it real pulse, while Laden’s “She Is In Love” and SumerR’s “Jesse James” keep the energy moving in different directions without breaking the mood. St Bess Records was working in that straight-ahead roots lane here, and this one feels a touch more restrained than some of the bigger, harder-hitting dancehall riddims the label has put out. Terry Linen’s appearance adds a familiar name to the set, but the project’s strength is how tightly the voices sit on the instrumental. It lands neatly in the St Bess catalogue as one of those modest, unflashy one-riddim releases that leans on songcraft and melody more than big studio drama.