Singles reviews in SOS - May 2006

YT - An England Story
Sativa 7" - Eighty Five/Sleng Teng riddim
The UK's most exciting dancehall artist jumps on the big tune of the moment with this version of Cham's Ghetto Story on Dave Kelly's wicked Eighty Five riddim. YT's done a lot of these reworkings over the past year or so and he kills it as usual with his tale of the sound systems and artists who ran the scene as he was growing up. He runs through the legends of the UK reggae world, bigging up everyone from Rodigan to Top Cat and Daddy Freddy, to tell a truly English story in answer to Cham's tale of growing up in Kingston. The other side puts the same lyric over the everlasting Sleng Teng riddim but the Eighty Five riddim should see YT getting the radio play here and abroad which he undoubtedly deserves.

Busy Signal - 2 Much Gun
Bling Dawg, Vybz Kartel & Bounty Killer - Full Up A Grass
H2O 7"/Greensleeves LP - Petty Thief riddim
The Petty Thief follows the recent fashion for reviving 90s ragga riddims by licking back Dave Kelly's Man Fi Dead production. Veteran artists like Buju Banton (who voiced the eponymous original cut of this riddim) and Pinchers keep the old time feeling going, while Busy Signal turns in a mesmerising performance on 2 Much Gun which features the breackneck fast chat MCing which is winning him so many fans right now. Bling Dawg joins forces with Vybz Kartel and Bounty Killer for a cheeky rework of Bunny General's Full Up A Class lyric - a killer combination.

Notch - Zoom Gal
Ward 21 - New Gangster Nation
Black Chiney 7" - Octane riddim
Black Chiney produced the 2004 smash hit Kopa riddim and this new outing has a darker vibe, with pounding samba-style drums and swirling breakdowns giving the riddim a hard edge. Notch's melodic cut showcases his singjay style to good efect and his party lyric and catchy chorus should see his effort hit big over the summer. Ward 21 meanwhile come with a dark cut which proclaims their New Gangster Nation amid howling sirens and their characterstically exciting blend of different vocal styles.

FM Crew - Girlz
Erra Records 12"
Brand new bashment from a hitherto unknown artist (FM Crew) and label (Erra Records) - definitely this month's hidden gem. Employing the tried and tested combination style so favoured in dancehall to great effect, Girlz features breathy, sexy female vocals complemented by rough and rugged chatting. This is topped off with an instantly memorable singalong refrain, "We love the girl dem, we love the girl dem". The 12" features a steel pan remix alongside the bumping original.

Ms Dynamite & Ken Boothe - Fall In Love (J Star remix)
White label 7"
The excellent Ms Dynamite version of Ken Boothe's When I Fall In Love, featuring the man himself on the chorus, finally makes it to 7" on this cheeky J Star release. The skanking, pared down sound of a reggae riddim makes a far better showcase for Ms Dynamite's talents than the weak R'n'B which made up most of her recent LP, and her lyrics here steer clear of the preachiness which made it a commercial flop. On the flip, J Star gets to work on a swirling dubbed out version, working the mix to get the most out of the original production.

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 08 May 2006