Tinariwen
Emmaar
There's something about Tinariwen's music that sounds as though it could only come from the desert. The long, spacious tracks on Emmaar conjure up endless stretches of sand like something out of Lawrence of Arabia, which makes sense given the band's homeland. You can practically hear the sun beating down on some camp out in the northern Sahara, the band sounding as if they're channeling the sound of the desert itself (or at least an English urbanite's idea of it). The songs on this, their sixth album, are above all atmospheric, but that doesn't mean they're boring. The faster numbers, like "Imdiwanin Ahi Tifhamam," bristle with danceable energy, and the slower, more meditative songs have a depth and intensity reminiscent of Ravi Shankar. Despite the troubled situation of their himeland, Tinariwen have managed to create another beautiful album.
But that's not to say that Emmaar is without its flaws. At times, the atmosphere wears a bit thin, and what start out as deeply moving tracks lose their thread, and tread dangerously close to blandness. There is a bit too much of the Guardian in this album - while fantastic in many respects, there are moments that sound like trendy background music. Still, it's mostly solid, and well worth a listen.
Rating: 7/10
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