Linval Thompson - Ganja Man (Irie Ites Records)

True to form, this release features a balanced mix of classic riddims like Cuss Cuss (title track 'Ganja Man', released in 2020) and Mr. Vincent ('Tune In'), riddims we recognized from previous Irie Ites productions, such as 'Ruff & Tuff' (the same riddim as Mark Wonder's 'Hol' Yuh Kulchah') and 'Marcus Garvey Says' (the Ina Struggle riddim we remember from George Palmer's 'Africa'), complemented by a handful of new compositions created in collaboration with Naram & Art, Med Tone, The Ligerians, Dean Fraser, and the late Nambo Robinson.

In the latter category, we'd like to highlight 'Pol-Ice Man', a delightful uptempo stepper and a raised middle finger to the men in blue, the rootsy 'Get Ready', and 'Ghetto Youth' (a lyrical nod to his own 'Don't Trouble Trouble').

Irie Ites also adds two excellent duets with Eek-A-Mouse ('Conscious Man', a second ganja anthem after title track 'Ganja Man') and the late Trinity (the aforementioned 'Tune In').

Once again, everything was expertly mixed by the hardest working man in the reggae business: Roberto Sanchez. If you opt for the vinyl version of the album, you'll have to be content with the ten vocal cuts, but the CD version comes with an additional five dub versions!