Scotch Bonnet Riddim (2017) – Buzwakk Records

Scotch Bonnet Riddim leans into a taut, nimble dancehall groove rather than trying to muscle its way through the room. Buzwakk Records lines it up with eight voices, and the mix of Bucky Jo’s “Way We Roll, ” Jr Cat’s “Rude Boy Rock, ” and Selvie Wonder’s “Full Stop” gives the set a nice spread of attitude without breaking the pulse. It landed in March 2017 as a compact nine-track package, which fits neatly with Buzwakk’s run of clean, singer-friendly riddims from that period; you can hear the same sharp, no-frills approach that popped up on their earlier work, just with a slightly friskier swing here. Wayne Sure’s “Nice It Up” closes it out in tidy fashion, making this one of the label’s more focused dancehall sets.