Love Is Not Blind Riddim – Penthouse Records / Vpal Music

Soft-focus romance. Penthouse Records and VPAL Music kept Love Is Not Blind Riddim in the sweeter side of roots reggae in 2016, with five voices circling the same lover’s theme without ever sounding repetitive. Dalton Harris opens with a tender, modern turn on The Side Effect Of You, while Iceman’s Your Love Is Life leans into classic lovers-rock warmth. The real spine here, though, comes from the pairing of seasoned names and sharper contemporary voices: Marcia Griffiths brings the kind of ease that only decades in the music can give, and Queen Ifrica’s title track gives the set its most direct line. Shuga’s Deceiver, listed here after appearing elsewhere in Penthouse’s catalog, keeps the riddim grounded in current-day dancehall-reggae conversation, but it’s Griffiths on Shelter In My Love who leaves the deepest mark.