De Truth Riddim – The Best Of Underground Music

A lean, reflective reggae cut with a soft late-night pulse, De Truth Riddim keeps the arrangement stripped back so the vocals can do the talking, especially Keisha Christian’s “When I Wanted To Be With You” and Statement’s “If I Can’t Be With You. ” The instrumental sits in that plaintive, roots-leaning pocket that a lot of 2005 underground productions were chasing, but this one feels a little more intimate than the heavier street riddims coming out around the same time. With just three tracks, the session plays like a quick snapshot of The Best Of Underground Music’s taste rather than a broad showcase, and that economy is part of the charm. It’s the kind of small-catalogue release that helps map where the label was headed in the middle of the decade.