Just Be Riddim – Good Look Records / Jmk Instrumental

Just Be Riddim keeps its feet in straight-ahead dancehall, with a lean, mid-tempo swing that leaves room for the vocals to do the heavy lifting rather than crowding them. Good Look Records and JMK Instrumental line up seven songs here, and the cast is tidy: D Vision’s “Hands Up” opens it with a rough-edged call to action, Goldie goes more reflective on “Far Away, ” and Ras Slick’s “Zone” got enough traction to spin off its own visual later in 2019. Teflon’s “Vacancy” closes the set with the kind of steady, no-frills delivery that fits the riddim’s measured pulse, while Phil Watkis, Promisin and Shawn Ice keep the mood locked in with conscious, everyday themes. It’s a compact 25-minute run, and that final “Vacancy” cut leaves the groove hanging in the air.