By Deuce

The Beatroot Road comes incredibly close to landing a hit record on “Milte Hi Ankhen”, a reggae/dancehall-infused jam that works wonderfully well in most moments. The only thing that could’ve sealed the deal is more accessible song structure, i.e. an easily findable hook and clear distinction between it and the verses.

Nonetheless, as things currently stand, the cut more than makes up for a little ambiguity in the above areas by surpassing expectations on the staples of song itself. The melody of a female singer is, most times, superbly sumptuous. Picture an inordinately high-pitched vocal tone cartwheeling loops and circles of melodies that are unmistakable and, for the most part, simply sound sensational.

It matters little that the lyrics aren’t English, which actually adds to the tropical, island-drenched vibe of the tune. The vocalist runs through a couple of different passages (and melodies) in the number, with nearly all of them being the type of attention-grabbers that makes the fairer sex rush the dancefloor.

There’s also the track itself, which simply pounds with a four-bar bass line that holds down the Jamaican-native appeal of the tune. It’s both rugged and catchy, and the undeniable epicenter around which the rest of the instrumental is built. That includes only one snare in the drum pattern, oftentimes pronounced with heady, heavy effects that make necks snap in place to the time of the tune.

The percussion includes celeritous high hats and some sort of wooden ethnic sounding instrument, giving the affair a degree of authenticity. Plus, there’s synths and the occasional electric guitar chiming in and out in different places, elevating the musicality of the production.

The song rockets from reggae to definitely dancehall when a male vocalist comes in chatting. Unfortunately, he only appears in spurts, but does so so well that when he first comes in you won’t be ready for him to pass the mic when he does.

And, to top everything else, the cut gives you a bonus, approximately minute-long dose of an instrumental before shutting down. With a groove this genuine, you might be mad when it does—until you run it back another time.