The Breaking Up Riddim, Vol. 2 – Digital English

In 2021, when a lot of roots-minded projects were digging back into clean digital textures, Digital English kept this Breaking Up set lean and musical, with just five cuts and no dead weight. The riddim has that crisp, lightly skanking feel that leaves plenty of room for melody, and the best moments come from the contrast between Fitzie Niceness easing into “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Sidney Mills’ “Bad Organ, ” which leans into the keyboard-led side of the session. Janet Lee Davis, Vernie Riley and Willow Wilson keep the tone soulful and reflective, so the whole thing feels less like a throwback exercise than a compact showcase of modern reggae voices working over a sturdy digital groove. It closes with Willow Wilson’s “Wish, ” a gentle finish that leaves the project on a soft, lingering note.