LO’JO – Au cabaret sauvage
World Village, 2002

FRANCE – Hooray, Lo’Jo is back! Once again, their French gypsy street-musician sound mixes seamlessly with Tunisia, Mali, and every other country they’ve ever visited into a unique and always compelling blend. While still a primarily acoustic band, there’s a bit more electronics/amplification this time, and it feels darker overall (to me, at least). Very intelligent lyrics in French; check 'em out. Highly recommended, and not just for “world” shows.

TRY ANY TRACK! Fo’s Faves: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12

01. 4:49 – elec. piano + violin lead to dramatic uptempo sweep; marching rhythm, catchy bits
02. 3:03 – up/midtempo dub-mix background; swirly violin & accordion, mysterious and cool
03. 4:38 – darker tone: monotone vox, almost rapped, w/ low drones and quick imzad (fiddle)
04. 3:44 – slow and heavy start, then sort of a dark-alley feel with a low, funky beat
05. 4:29 – propulsive and folksy: non-trad kora and odd chorus vox make it feel exotic
06. 4:31 – jews-harp loop starts off aggressive, slightly disorienting song; great breaks.
07. 3:39 – relaxed carnival music and some crowd noise under straightforward vox
08. 4:02 – midtempo tango-flavored mystery, very cool duo vocal
09. 3:07 – interesting blend of reggae, African bush music, middle eastern – english lyrics
10. 3:53 – cool spoken poem, backed by a series of percussive loops, Arabic wail chorus
11. 3:01 – builds to a driving rock-inflected pulse, two relaxed acid-jazzy breaks
12. 2:34 – very nice instrumental musette/tango for violin/bass/bassoon/melodica

[Fo] - 11/21/02