At 54, Linval Thompson is decades removed from the precocious youth who told his fellow Jamaicans “don’t cut off your dreadlocks.” Now an elder statesmen of the reggae scene, Thompson has a voice that’s remarkably well-preserved. The subtle wear it’s accrued over the years only underscores his songs’ world-weary messages. Though he’s in fine voice, the greatest asset of the 2008 album Ghetto Living is Thompson’s ear. He self-produced many of his greatest songs, and he brings those talents to bear on “Ghetto Living,” “Government People,” and “Halla Dem a Bawl,” which update the sparse, bass-heavy sound of early-’80s Kingston. Even when Thompson experiments with new production touches (like the flamenco guitar on “Natural Beauty”), they revolve around a raw and rock-solid rhythm. All this highlights Thompson’s seductive vocals, as spellbinding now as they were 30 years ago. Ghetto Living proves that his core musical ideals are as unwavering as his dub rhythms suggest.