Mesopotamia Riddim – Penthouse Records

Penthouse Records brings Mesopotamia with a bright, springy soca pulse that still carries the label’s polished dancehall touch, and the cast gives it plenty of personality. Alozade kicks off the set with the loose-limbed “Me Nah Lef Yah, ” while Ernie Smith’s “Jamdown 50” and Etana’s “Johnny Too Bad” give the riddim a warmer, more melodic edge. Exco Levi and Kiprich keep the energy moving with sharper phrasing and a little more bite, and Tessanne Chin’s “Fire” closes things with the kind of vocal lift that suits Penthouse’s clean, radio-ready approach. It’s a compact eight-track 2012 release, but it captures that moment when soca and Jamaican singjay styling were sitting comfortably side by side, with enough bounce to work in Carnival season and enough clarity to hold up in a sound system set.