Continuing its Inna De Yard series, Makasound hands the microphone on this third instalment to Linval Thompson, who follows Kiddus I. Absent from the studios for nearly two decades, the singer-producer thus makes his comeback under the banner of the French label, well settled in Earl Chinna Smith's yard. Few classics mark this return in acoustic form, apart from the successful Jah Jah Dreader than Dread and Train To Zion, or Jah Guiding Star and Good Gracious Woman. We will also remember the opener Inna De Hills, fitting for the occasion, and the massive Hit them with the one drop, which gives the album its lift. It closes with the lively Gimme Back on the Drumsong, where the young Israel Voice joins Linval Thompson at the end of the track.
The stripped-back form of the Makasound series, which seemed to favour singers with strong voices like Kiddus I, does not weaken Linval Thompson's performance. It must be said that the instrumentation is fuller, with drums, keyboards and horns surrounding Earl Chinna Smith on guitar. "Linval Thompson Inna De Yard" is less mystical than its predecessor but more rhythmic, in the rub a dub tradition. A notch below, being less immersive, it is nonetheless imbued with the charm of the series. The next instalment will be devoted to Cedric Myton, of the Congos.
