Rhythm Of The Sun – Telstar

Althia and Donna are the easy entry point into Rhythm Of The Sun, because their “Uptown Top Rankin” still feels like the sharpest, sassiest cut in the bunch, and Telstar wisely hangs the rest of the set around that same crossover sweet spot. Aswad’s “Don’t Turn Around, ” Maxi Priest’s “Wild World, ” and Ken Boothe’s “Everything I Own” keep the riddim moving in that late-’80s reggae-pop lane, while Bob Marley, Freddie McGregor and Grace Jones pull the tracklist back toward deeper roots and star power. Telstar, the label behind this 1989 set, had a real ear for material that could travel beyond the yard without losing its Jamaican pulse, and you can hear that thinking in the way each voice lands cleanly on the groove. Even the oddball touch of Sly and Robbie’s “Boops” near the end feels like a little wink.