Magical Riddim (2008) – Pandm Records

Anthony B anchors Magical Riddim with “Woman Of My Dream, ” and that tune helps point up the riddim’s sweeter, more melodic side even as the set runs through tougher voices like Vybz Kartel and Singer J on “Ready To Tise, ” Turbulence on “Try And Try, ” and Gyptian’s “More And More. ” P and M Records kept the arrangement lean and properly mid-2000s reggae: bass-forward, uncluttered, with enough room for the singers to carry the hooks without crowding the rhythm. The tracklist also folds in a clean/raw pair for Teflan’s “Doing Good, ” which feels very much in line with the era’s habit of giving selectors and DJs a choice cut. Coming in 2008, this sits neatly among those P and M productions that favored a straightforward roots-reggae feel rather than chasing anything overly polished.