Soukous Parang Riddim – Various Artsists

Opening with a quick, carnival-season pulse, Soukous Parang Riddim rides that bright parang-soca lane with a light soukous lift in the rhythm, so the whole thing feels more nimble and festive than heavy. It’s a tight three-track set from 2011, and the value is in the contrast: Kenny J’s “Hole” brings the cheeky back-and-forth, Scrunter’s “In De Back Yard” leans into backyard party energy, and Third Bass closes with “What Dey Go Drink, ” which keeps the tune rooted in the kind of drink-up banter parang fans know well. The project was put together by Myron B and Kevon “Yodo” John-Baptiste, a pairing that had already been deep in Trinidad’s Christmas-soca corner, and that experience shows in how compact and seasonal this one sounds.