Starrbourn Riddim – Various Artists

Coming out of the 2008 digital-riddim wave, Starrbourn is a tight four-cut reggae set that leans more on mood than volume, with a lean, echoey groove and a nice dubwise pulse under the vocals. Tubby T’s “Blaze It” brings the lighter, herb-friendly charge, while Gappy Ranx turns in the most pointed cut with “Living A Lie, ” and Chukki Starr and Slim Banton keep the energy grounded with “Wanna Be” and “Gang War. ” With just four voices on the same backing, the riddim gets room to breathe, and that sparse lineup gives it the feel of a small but deliberate slice of the late-2000s Jamaican independent scene, when a handful of sharp singles could carry a whole project.