Songbird Riddim – Zion I Kings

Songbird Riddim lands in that sweet Zion I Kings pocket where roots reggae stays warm, patient, and melodic rather than heavy-handed, and this 2013 set works like a proper conscious showcase. Duane Stephenson’s “Call On Jah Name” has that calm, prayerful pull he does so well, while Lutan Fyah’s “She’s Got Soul” gives the whole thing a softer lovers-rock edge without losing the roots feel. Jahdan Blakkamoore and Pressure keep the message side moving with “Best In Life” and “The Rain, ” and the lineup’s spread across the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and the US gives the project a nice regional sweep. It was the first installment in the Zion I Kings Riddim Series, which fits, because it sounds like the start of something rather than just another one-off compilation.