West Town Riddim – Forward Ever Band

Forward Ever Band’s West Town Riddim lands in the 2016 wave of Spanish-rooted reggae sessions that liked to keep one foot in Kingston and the other in Europe, and that cross-current gives the whole set its shape. The riddim leans toward warm, rootsy reggae rather than anything hard-edged, so the vocals can breathe: Jah Mali’s “People Nah Change” sets the tone with a steady conscience message, while Pipo Ti and Mr Karty bring a more cultural angle on “More Culture” and Glen Washington closes the circle with the silky “Please Me. ” There’s also a dub cut with Marcos Crespo and Chalart58, which hints at the sound-system thinking behind the project. But the tune that lingers is Ninja Kid’s “Stealing Love On the Side, ” a sharp little turn that keeps the riddim from settling into one mood for too long.