Curly Locks Riddim – Greensleeves Records

Loose and lilting, the Curly Locks riddim carries that mid-’80s Greensleeves feel: rootsy but polished, with a warm bass pulse and a clean, ticking groove that leaves plenty of space for the singers. Barrington Levy’s “I Feel Free” rides it with his usual elastic phrasing, while Frankie Paul’s “Hold Me” leans into the sweeter side of the rhythm and gives the set its easiest hook. Coming out in 1985, it sits right in that period when classic Jamaican songwriting was being reframed for a sharper sound-system era, and its small tracklist keeps the focus on the riddim itself rather than any excess around it.