Polaroid Riddim – Cmmg Records

CMMG Records’ 2018 Polaroid Riddim sits in the label’s late-2010s catalog as a seven-cut reggae showcase, with Norris Man, Lady Meeka, Ainsley King, Black Loyalty, Revelation and Mellow Rebel all taking a turn over the same rootsy framework. The production leans warm and mid-tempo rather than flashy, with a steady one-drop feel, cushioned bass and enough space around the drums for the voices to stay front and center. Mellow Rebel’s “Cause I’M A Rasta” appears twice, once as a radio edit and again in explicit form, which gives the project a little extra weight at the top of the tracklist. Norris Man’s “Unleash” is the name that gets singled out most often, and the whole set carries a calm, upright vocal approach that keeps the riddim grounded in straight reggae phrasing.