Roots / Lovers Rock

Review: The latest release from French dub and reggae stable BAT Records comes courtesy of returning heroes Pinnacle Sound, whose recent digital-only album SEED sounded like a long-lost Jamaican album from the mid 1970s. It's a similar story this time round. 'Back Up' and 'What Have You Done', featuring lead vocals from Marcus I, sound like Black Ark period Lee 'Scratch' Perry productions for Errol Walker, with weary, soulful vocals riding dusty, bass-heavy riddims. Toaster IF-I does his thing over a very similar riddim on 'Love Jamaica', too. Over on side B, you'll find a jollier and cheerier roots reggae vibe on Jolly Joseph's 'My Heart is Broken', while instrumental closing cut 'Yilli' is a slow, steady, dub-wise instrumental rich in jazzy guitars and meandering organ solos.

Review: Producer Lewis M continues to make the most of his connections with the Inn House Crew, an all-star studio band made up of various veteran Jamaican reggae musicians. Here he presents an EP of "versions" built around the Inn House Crew's 'Contagious Riddim', which is included in a slightly spruced-up form - complete with additional solos and brighter mixing - as the A2 cut. Toaster Ras Ranger is the first to do his thing over the riddim, delivering nearly non-stop flows in his native patois, before AJ Franklin displays the riddim's versatility by turning in a soulful roots number ('Solomon'). Best of all, though, is Winston Reedy's effortlessly warming and soulful version, 'Hip-Hop Hooray'.