Pretty Looks Riddim (2014) – Flash Hit Records

Flash Hit Records leans into a polished, melodic roots-dancehall groove on Pretty Looks Riddim, and the cut that really sets the tone is the Bushman and Skarra Mucci pairing on “Pretty Looks. ” The set folds in a nice spread of voices — Lt Stitchie and Million Stylez on “Emergency, ” Lukie D on “Reggae, ” Naâman on “Runaway, ” and Papa Michigan on “DJ Legend” — so it never settles into one mood for too long. There’s a slightly more digital, European new-roots feel here than on some of the label’s rougher work, which makes sense given Flash Hit’s Toulon base and the way they were shaping a small but steady catalogue around 2014. In the label’s run, this sits neatly beside their other singer-heavy riddims, with “Pretty Looks” itself doing the heavy lifting as the anchor and the version closing the circle cleanly.