Country Riddim – Central Records

Central Records’ Country Riddim sits neatly in the label’s 2017 soca run, a compact five-track package that leans more toward a straight carnival chant than anything overly fussy. The lineup keeps the focus on a few sharp voices rather than crowding the rhythm: 3 Canal’s “Make Ah Drain, ” Mx Prime’s “Home Coming, ” and Dale Ryan’s “On One (Tammy)” give it the biggest personality, while Melodyus cuts the title tune as “Country (Version). ” Released in January 2017, it comes in under 20 minutes, which suits the way Central sets out the sequence — three vocal cuts, a variation, then the instrumental at the end, like the whole thing is designed to be played straight through without breaking the momentum.