Wonderful Riddim – Various Artists

Wonderful Riddim leans into that late-2000s roots-reggae pocket where the groove stays warm and rolling while the voices do the lifting, and the tracklist here has a nice spread of names from Marlon Asher’s title cut to Khari Kill’s “Mount Zion” and Jah Bami’s “Neva Forsake U. ” The production feels geared toward conscious singing rather than big-hitting dancehall, which gives room for the harmonies on Gailann And Scar’s “Love Is Real” and the devotional push of Jahspa’s “Divine Woman” to sit comfortably on the same cut. Even the lighter touch of Princess Menen’s “More Weed” fits the mood without breaking it, while the version closes the set in the usual riddim style. Issued in 2008, the release runs through nine vocal takes plus the instrumental.