Stiff Front Riddim – Cousin Records

Stiff Front Riddim catches that early-2000s roots-dancehall feel, the sort of groove that lets a tune breathe but still keeps a firm shove in the bassline. Cousin Records lines up Anthony Cruz’s reflective “Back In The Days” with Bushman’s uplift-minded “Try Everything” and Richie Davis on “Dangerous Life, ” while Kandy and the Rasta Youth/King David combination keep the vocal side varied without crowding the cut. It’s a compact six-track set, and that economy helps the riddim’s own character come through: sturdy drums, a steady forward motion, and enough space for the singers to work the hook. The closing instrumental, “Version - Stiff Front, ” leaves the whole thing sitting in that clean, no-frills pocket that was doing serious work around 2003.