The El YahWeh Riddim From Train Line Records

The El YahWeh Riddim [Train Line Records - 2022]

1. 'Blessings' by Dexta Daps

2. 'Faith Over Fair' by Hopeton Lindo

3. 'Special Place' by Lutan Fyah

4. 'El' by Menny Moore

5. 'House of Parliament' [Remaster 2022] by Norris Man & Anthony B

6. 'Black Star Lina' by Perfect Giddimani

7. 'Gunz in the Street' by Little Hero & Pzed

8. 'Cool It Down' by Young Shanty 

Okay so, there're two things that I probably should remind you of before we get started: First of all, back in May there was the release of the excellent "Deep Conversations" album from veteran chanter, Norris Man. To my opinion, not only was that project one of the year's strongest Reggae sets, but it was also one of the artist's best in recent memory as well - and, fortunately, it's spent the past six months or so aging quite well so definitely check it out if you have yet to do so. Going back a little further, very early in the year (the actual release date was the very first day of 2022) there was also the fine Night In Gale Riddim which featured sizable contributions from the likes of Lutan Fyah, the aforementioned Norris Man, Busy Signal, the great Freddie McGregor (get well soon boss!) and others. Now, we bring up both of these releases in particular because they both came via the same source, one Train Line Records who are now capping off the year by offering a GORGEOUS bookend to the Night In Gale Riddim in the form of the El YahWeh Riddim.

I won't go through chunks of their output (even though I really want to, but I just noticed that I did that last time), but what I will tell you for the short term is to go back, briefly (and then come back to me), and take a listen to the Night In Gale. Now you can say what you want as far as the actual tunes on the track; though I enjoyed them, if you didn't it's fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. HOWEVER, as a composition -- as strictly a piece of music -- I'm going to have a very difficult time in listening to an opinion explaining exactly how that thing isn't absolutely beautiful. It was one of the better done tracks of 2022 in my opinion and, fortunately, the same level of quality-control is demonstrated here as, once again, TLR has produced a heavy winner in my opinion with the cool bounce of the El YahWeh. If you did check "Deep Conversations", you got an early taste of what the El YahWeh was capable of courtesy of the album's opener, 'House Of Parliament', a combination featuring Norris Man and Anthony B.  As it was on "Deep Conversations", 'House Of Parliament' (which is curiously spelled differently on both releases, perhaps intentionally, but I'm going to spell it in the way I've always known that word to be spelled) (and the way that does not get redlined by my spellchecker) remains is a big highlight here as well but -- again, as it was on "Deep Conversation" -- it is not alone. Previous works from TRL demonstrated that they were consistently able to draw in a nice variety of talented vocalists and the El YahWeh is not an exception. Along with 'House Of Parliament', big tunes come in via the likes of Dexta Daps (never been the biggest fan of Daps' but I have to give credit where it is due and it is due to him for 'Blessings'), Hopeton Lindo, Perfect Giddimani and, of course Lutan Fyah.

also from Train Line Records in 2022

Lutan Fyah's a favourite of mine which you know if you frequent these pages at all and I was all set to declare his contribution to the El YahWeh Riddim, 'Special Place', my favourite song on the track, with a nod of respect to Hopeton Lindo's 'Faith Over Fair' (which is excellent), but all of that changed when I arrived at the fourth song, 'El' by Menny Moore.

"Seh wi nah know about heaven, but mi know about El

Dem ah talk bout heaven like seh dem know it so well

Hey, do no evil

Don't you cast no spell

Si you in El if heaven don't go well

Didn't Bob Marley tell yuh that di time gone tell?

Si you in El if heaven don't go well

Dem get scared by di ringing of a bell

Si you in El if heaven don't go well

Suppose if wi go show dem bout di great SAMUEL

Suppose if wi go show dem bout EZEKIEL

And show dem bout di prophet weh dem call DANIEL

Suppose if wi go reason bout EMMANUEL

Suppose if wi go reason bout di ARCHANGELS

Di one MICHAEL, GABRIELLE, RAPHAEL

Suppose I man go teach dem bout di great YURIEL

They be like, 'what you talking bout man? Who di El?'

Buju Banton seh him name Gargamel

Sizzla Kalonji, yow a him name Miguel

Adidjah Palmer - dat a Vybz Kartel

And Castro - him name Fidel

But, suppose mi tell you why di youths dem rebel

Suppose mi fi go teach dem bout di true Israel

Suppose if wi go show dem who name Jezebelle

And show dem I & I know di bible very well"

Menny Moore with his hyper-creative turn puts the El YahWeh Riddim to the sword and provides it with its most memorable moment, which is definitely saying something substantial. Everyone here does fairly well at least (only one tune I don't enjoy and it isn't a bad song at all. Oh and maybe TLR can give us a clean version next time. When they sound THIS good, that should be mandatory), making for yet another proper big time release from Train Line Records. That's just my opinion though, see for yourself: The El YahWeh Riddim is available right now and I'm done so... it isn't like you have anything else to do right now.