Emmaar

One of the biggest names in Malian desert blues, this Tuareg group decamped to Joshua Tree to record their sixth LP. Like many other musicians who’ve fled Mali in its current unstable political state, the political side of Tinariwen’s music comes to the forefront here, though as is apparent to someone who doesn’t know Tamashek (like me), politics is just one piece of the much broader emotional geography the band is mapping.

The general sound here is rhythmically sharp and taut, and at the same time it’s extremely psychedelic without ever seeming to think about resorting to tropes like wah-wah pedals. There’s a constant sense of restraint—never cathartic, and yet always alert. This album has a pretty uniform style, so the track-by-track focuses more on tempo and general vibe. All tracks are great; play anything. No FCCs.

1. (4:20)—“The People Have Been Sold Out.” Mid-tempo, chill, driving. Saul Williams provides a spoken intro.
2. (4:54)—Medium-fast, more intense, searing.
3. (4:03)—“I Want To Tell.” Slow, funky but tight.
4. (3:52)—“Youth Of The Sahara.” Medium-slow, tense. “We’ve learned how to use other weapons than those our ancestors have bequeathed to us.”
5. (4:52)—“Friends, Hear Me!” Slow, patient.
6. (5:04)—Slow, loping.
7. (4:55)—“This Constant Lethargy.” Very slow, funereal.
8. (4:37)—“Friends, Understand Me!” Fast, lively. Features fiddle.
9. (4:34)—“Even If I Seem To Smile.” Mid-tempo, funkier again. Approaches a hip-hop rhythm.
10. (3:37)—Medium-fast, bright, major key. Features Matt Sweeney (formerly of Chavez).
11. (4:16)—“I Call On Man.” Medium-fast, brighter like the previous track, but more melancholy.