Samba Toure – Crocodle Blues
Reviewed by Sadie O., 8/18/11
Desert Blues from Mali. Inspired by Ali Farka Toure (no relation). Prominent guitar and fine talking drum. Album was recorded in the evenings during Ramadan and has a very relaxed and friendly feel. Desert blues always sound to me like they’re conceived on camel back – they have that rolling, swaying sort of feel. All tracks are sweet and gorgeous. I esp. like the talking drum on track 4, female vocals on track 5.
1. 4:15 **pretty guitar flourishes, talking drum, rolling groove. Relaxed, vocal chorus.
2. 6:13 **bluesy solo guitar intro, slow, very relaxed sway, lovely. Simple song construction, pretty, restrained guitar solo.
3. 5:18 **hand percussion intro, pretty midtempo camel walk groove. Odd sort of ancient violin sawing sound in background.
4. 4:45 ***a bit downtempo, really nice swing, great talking drum.
5. 4:34 ***cool percussion syncopation, midtempo and a bit upbeat, call and response, guest female vocals (Oumou Sangare). Celebrates women in Malian history.
6. 4:06 **hand drums intro, midtempo rolling groove. Clackers come in halfway through, giving it a bit of Gnawa feel.
7. 3:47 ***lovely, subdued, somewhere between a lullaby and country blues. Instrumental, just guitar and hand drums.
8. 5:30 **slow interweaving of guitar lines, call and response, subdued talking drum. Changes midway through, vocals get growly.
9. 4:30 **midtempo sway, pretty similar to everything else (not that that’s a BAD thing…)
10. 5:02 **ancient sawed violin intro, a bit uptempo, almost danceable. Bit of kinda funky bass halfway through.
11. 4:31 ***downtempo, talking drum. Apparently a song type danced by royalty. They’ve got fairly exuberant royalty there…
12. 4:00 **vocal chorus, midtempo sway.
13. 5:07 **starts with baby crying, sawed violin. Praising mothers. Very real sounding exchange between him and crying child!
14. 4:13 **pretty guitar flourishes, downbeat. Solo vocals.