Music in Exile

Rather interesting sounds, combining traditional music with blues. Enjoyable listen

Is desert blues the best music genre I never knew existed????? Banger after banger. Great songs, not a bad track in there. Really groovy, I’ve saved the whole thing to my Spotify. No-skip album. Fav tracks: Soubour, Wayei, Irganda, Al Hassidi Terei, basically all of them ngl Least fav: Mali (but it’s still good)

Un dels exemples més captivadors de la world music. No cal que t'agradin els sons d'arrels africanes per poder disfrutar d'aquest disc, que t'arrossega a un estat gairebé hipnòtic

best thing julian casablancas ever did

Couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying, but I was certainly bopping the entire time. Downright pleasant time. 4/5

Forgot to listen to most of it, but really enjoyed what I did hear! They're from Mali, by the way, for quick reference.

How have I never heard this album before?! This was incredible from start to finish; I actually listened to the entire album twice in a row because I loved it so much. While listening the second time, I also looked up the story behind the album and the translated lyrics, and that made me fall even more in love with it. Amazing album, one I know will be in my regular rotation from here on out. I will definitely be checking out the rest of Songhoy Blues' albums. Standout Tracks: "Soubour," "Irganda," "Sekou Oumarou," "Jolie"

I understand why this album made it to the list... But it's not for me

korrek

Great hits but a bit repetitive

q aburrido lpm

dificil de escuchar con todo respeto a los compañeros de songhoy blues

The best thing to come out of Mali since Jimmy Kebe. A very listenable blend of blues music and African male vocal harmonies from a group of musicians exiled from Timbuktu. Apparently the genre is 'desert blues'. I like it and would listen to more. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Nick Date listened: 06/03/23

This one surprised me. Loved the twangy guitar licks, and although I don't understand a word they're saying, the singing was excellent as well.

Good and respectable for what it is but not something that’ll stick with me for a while

2.5

This album begins with straight electric blues and shifts over the course of the album to for Malinese influenced music. In a very real way, this album represents a full circle moment; here we see an African influenced American genre turn into something new in the hands of Africans. It truly revitalizes the blues in a way that is very difficult to do. The result is astounding. The title of the album alludes to the fact that Songhoy Blues is a band in exile, and may be making some of the truest blues music out there.

Inte så tokigt alls.

I love finding new music and this was great find. Will be going back to this one some more.

This is a perfect example of why I suffer through Bjork and Neneh Cherry albums to be part of this exploration of the 1001 Albums... I would never have chosen to listen to this but for coming up in the random generator. I’m very glad it came up. Even though I didn’t understand a word, I enjoyed every track. The vocals, the rhythms and time signature, musicianship,… everything. I will be returning to this record. And I immediately listened to their subsequent records.

This really surprised me. Enjoyed it the whole way through without understanding a word of it.

First half to 2/3s of the album really caught my attention. Which is hard when I can't understand the lyrics. However the last bit started to drag a little bit. It's a 3.5, but I'll round up to 4 just because I was so surprised by how much I liked the start of it.

Yet another uninteresting album zzz

I really dig this. Solid blues riffs and interesting melodies. There’s a simplicity to it that was intriguing to me.

very cool. great expansion of my musical tastes

Filled with so much personality. There is a Strokes level of charm that just oozes through the music. The funky basslines and the punchiness of the percussion create such a perfectly woven structure for the album. It’s just so wonderfully arranged. This is an album that’s completely in its element and rejoices in that fact. Truly just put together in such a cohesive way, how lovely!!! Faves: Al Hassidi Terei, Soubour, Ai Tchere Bele, Nick, Petit Metier

40 minutes of some damn good grooves. Best track: Soubour

I really enjoyed this.

I've never heard of Songhoy Blues or any of the music on Music in Exile. The energy in the opening track "Soubour" hooked my interest. "Al Hassidi Terei" and "Nick" were similar energy tracks with interesting guitar licks and hooky rhythms that reached out beyond the language of the lyrics. I would be interested in hearing more from this band.

https://twitter.com/reactionvideos_/status/1099815546374311938?s=46&t=ClN2DgjeuhkS5Uirs5vxjg

Pretty good album. Definitely listen to again. Nice blues soon, lots of rhythm.

2.75/5

Cool guitar work

Olishan se ihan kiva ymmärtää mistä lauleskellaan. Kivoja riffejä muttei tarvitse enää uudelleen kuunnella. Ei ihan paska.

Vaikkei sanoista tajunnu mtn, nii mieluusti meni alusta loppuun. Vahva kakkonen

Loved reading about the backstory of this album, super cool. Of course I wish I could understand the lyrics but this was solid.

I knew them already, a great sound but a bit repetitive

Loved this

Loved it. Ambience. Blues. Guitar. No matter what language.

Didn't know what to expect. Pleasantly surprised. Was good to work to.

This album was really great!! My favorite track was Nick. Thought the guitar was nice on that one. Happy to have found something new that was so fresh and enjoyable.

A really interesting fusion of rock and African sounds. I don't think I'd seek it out again, but I'm glad I listened to it twice.

Muy interesante! (ONB)

4/5 I really liked this album. It's very similar to Ali Farka Touré's sound. It was cool to see that one of them is the son of his drummer. I love the rhythms and how the music sounds. It's really positive and peaceful for me. I like foreign language music cause I can have my own thoughts and daydream about things. Sometimes I look up what it means and think about the general idea of the song when listening to the music. I like learning about the history and area that the music is from. Cause I'm a nerd and pedantic and pretentious. 🤨🤓🧐

Ehhhhh. I tried to like this but it's just not to my taste. Great musicianship and even the singing was decent but I really struggled to get into an album where the genre isn't my thing and I can't understand the lyrics. Background music at best for me.

Really like the album, especially its instrumentals. Based on the description, I'm curious about the meaning of the lyrics, but I couldn't easily find a translation / explanation. I think having that would've added to the experience a lot. This isn't the type of music I would usually find on my own, I hope to get more albums like this. The songs I liked the most were Soubour, Irganda and Nick. Besides these, I really liked the way Mali felt a lot more subdued than the others.

So I have never heard of them or this album, so this is completely new to me. I generally like African music (I know painting with a broad brush here) and this is no exception. It is a very pleasant listen, even if I doubt it will stick with me long term. I don't know if I have a whole lot to add to that other than the instrumentation and singing are both quality. One that I'll definitely make a point to revisit when I'm in the mood for some Malian music.

This is right up my alley. Love the driving guitar and percussion, it exudes joy. 4/5.

I had this one on my personal list that I started about a year ago. I gave it a 3 at the time, and I think I will probably keep that rating. I enjoyed this a lot and I love listening to music written in languages other than English, but I haven't been able to connect with it yet. Maybe I'll need to do some research on the band and listen a few more times.

Joyful music. Milan music with a western guitar flare. Highly listenable.

I have no idea what to expect here. A straight-up blues album, well I never! It occasionally slips into a more African / Tribal beat with accompanying chants, but this is the blues and I like it. The guitar playing is particularly excellent. As with other albums from lands far away, I've no idea what they are singing about, but the melodies are catchy, and the harmonies are excellent. 3 / 5 stars.

A discovery!!

Nah…

Unfortunately rare, but this is essentially what I come here for. Something completely outside my scope that makes me stop and listen. The guitar work is awesome and the rhythms are tight. I don't rely on lyrics to define a song so not understanding the lyrics is not a problem for me. The vocalists become other instruments. It gets to the heart of the song. This introduction to Songhoy Blues is appreciated, I can feel this. But only for the first 7 or 8 songs. I kinda get lost around there. But hey, I'm the foreigner, it's bound to happen. I do really love the sound of this band and will be listening to other work to get a better picture of what's going on here.

Malian blues! Very cool sound, and the band's history is really interesting! I am all the way invested in this

Ali Farka Toure vibes, relaxed albumpje uit Mali

This was good company today, perfect for walking about and well deserving of decent headphones. The record quality and tone of the instruments is superb. Beautiful.

Old school blues, but the regional tone of voice does not appeal to me.

uau, Mali blues , amazing roots!

Worthy but Not for me or the list.

Great Instrumentation, I didn't like the vocal performance as much.

Ok

This is by far the best non-English language album I’ve gotten on this list so far. It’s exactly my type of blues rock and every song is a banger from start to finish but especially soubour and petit metier. Even if I can’t understand I can feel the political message through the music and that’s just the icing on the cake for a great album; would kill to hear it live. Also, this has been a great run of albums the past week or two

I was quite surprised to have heard some of these tracks before , unknowingly. Very vibrant, I love the interesting guitar rhythms . But by the end I thought the album tired & too many songs were similar.

Didn't understand a word those boys were singing, but really enjoyed the tune and listening to their voices.

Good world music. Great instrumentals.

Fijn maar ook wat te lang hetzelfde

Zalig album. De blues, de samenzang, traditionele Afrikaanse sound. Toffe ontdekking

Amazing, so original, I haven't heard something that intrigues me like this in a very long time.

I got strong Black Keys vibes from the music and then French/Arabic/African language-lyrics. Trippy!

afrikka bändi heh...ranska heh... anti muslimi...propsit. hyvää bluessia malin pojilta The language barrier is detrimental unfortunately. It’s not their fault. sanest anglomaanikko review...ei voi lyriikoita etsiä... internetistä petit metier

This was a pleasent surprise. I enjoyed every song of the album, of course Blues is not my go to music so towards the end my attention was kinda drifting away. But the music was great, I can totally see myself going back to this album in the future.

Okay blues, nothing too fancy or interesting for me though

Etno, rocky, but not boring at all

Saharan shredders unite.

Fun, pleasant, not a stand out album but perfectly listenable. I get the left field blues from Mali vibe and it is interesting for that but otherwise a fairly unremarkable blues album.

When it goes all polyrhythmic it's dead exciting, when it's more trad, it's dry as hell. It's a mixed bag, but glad I heard it

Experts in their craft. Couldn’t find a bad thing to say other than I’m not a fan of blues music.

Nice

The opening track on Music In Exile, begins with a blast, tasty guitar sounds of upbeat blues! It settles into a satisfying album of interesting songs and musical stylings I rarely have heard. The only drawback is I wish I understood the lyrics and the meaning of the songs since it isn't sung in English, but it's well sung and doesn't detract too much. I wouldn't have otherwise heard this, if not for this list, thanks! I will listen again.

Parts of this album are totally incendiary

Enjoyed this. First time for me for this group, though I have earlier Tinariwen album which is similar. I don't understand why people complain or downgrade records that aren't in English?! Climb out of your burrow. Isn't music meant to transcend language, and isn't the point of this project to discover new stuff?

Enjoyed

A bit of a one trick pony of an album, with all the songs sounding pretty much the same. Yet another album that was probably selected to be here probably not due to musical merit.

I really like this album.

You know what, I had to restart the record like 3 times because I wanted to listen in one session . I didn’t get sick of it. In fact, I very much enjoyed it. I feel very charitable and this album deserves it with this prime demonstration of the blues combines with African musical influences. 5/5

Fine, not offsensive, but didn't make me sit up and listen at any point either

Awesome

Al Hassidi Terei går så hhårt jeez louiizzze gitarren låter som en loopad del av en beefheart track, Petit Metier är också banger, resten fastnade inte på samma sätt men bra

Ja kommer så gott som alltid rocka me någo som int e på engelska

A fun take on rock music as filtered through an african sound. I especially liked the songs that featured more unusual rhythms. Will be exploring this band further

Kova

spotify describes this band as desert blues and that’s a wonderful description. their music is fun to listen to and I like they’re instrumentation and production style a lot.

It was blues album in the sense that the music was bluesy. It was not in English so I couldn't really understand the lyrics. It wasn't bad.

was cool cant remember too much though sorry guys!

Eh

I just finished teaching a unit on the history of West Africa and the Songhai empire to my middle school students. One of the questions they were asked was how musical and oral traditions have kept their culture alive through the past centuries. I wish I had had this album to use to really demonstrate this connection between past and present because it speaks to both so well. And it jams. Really good!

If not for this listening project, would I have ever been introduced to this album...I suspect not. So glad that I didn't miss this opportunity!! I will admit that it kind of got repetitive sounding to me, but not enough to mark it down.

Wonderful. Improved my day.

This is something I would never have been aware of but for this project. The mix of “desert blues” and rock is remarkable, I absolutely love it! I was drawn to this immediately and each listen opens up more of this to me. The guitars are amazing. Reading the backstory of the group it is amazing how joyful music about dislocation and trauma can be. So glad to have encountered this!

Overall, I liked this album, it was definitely a vibe. I liked the bluesy, guitar-driven direction it was going through with many of the songs.

Pleasant background music, I guess. Not really my genre of music (I feel bad for not being more passionate about this, it's a fine album).

Interesting progressive modernized roots-blues with African flavour, rhythm and lyrics.

Mali <3

I enjoyed this album. Even though I don't understand the lyrics, I found the album fun to listen to. The guitar playing is quite a different style from the other albums I've listened to, so this album stands out a lot from the rest. Favorite song: Soubour Worst song: Mali

You can't stop the music. Nobody can stop the music.

and this is what the blues are for in 2022

Amazing African Blues album.

Its very hooky. its not that sort of stuck in the muck blues style. It actually feels like its going somewhere, about something. Ai Tchere Bele has some crazy polyrythmisim going on. That was good!

So cool and interesting to hear blues rock sounds mixed with african music. The git Riffs could sometimes have been heavier or could have varied a bit more. But the vocal lines and Rhythms are superb. And the git solos are lit.

нет абсолютно нет

This is an absolutely stellar album. A while back on this list, I get Savane by Ali Farka Touré, and this album reminded me a lot of that, which makes sense as they were influenced by him. It's really cool to see people from all over the world pick up American Blues Rock and make it their own. The guitar work on the album is incredible, both intricate and filled with emotion. I've been lamenting recently that I've been getting a lot of albums that are cool and significant, but aren't worthy of 5 stars on first listen. This album cured that. I loved the sound of it from the beginning of the first song, and every song after that was great, and then the album ended and I was sad 5/5

It's like shoegaze in that I cannot understand the words.

Pretty cool instrumentally. Wish I could understand any of the words though.

This is what this list should be about. How else am I going to encounter Malian dessert blues? (Although I think I've seen this group on the NPR tiny desks concert list) I agree with the other sentiments here about how the language barrier is a bit tough. Normally that isn't a problem, but given the history of this band and the ongoing war, it's a shame I don't quite know what they are saying.

groovy baby

Remarkably good blues players. It's so unique and unusual to hear what ultimately sounds like really good American blues with lyrics in a foreign language. I think what I like most about this is the blending of the two elements fits naturally. Too often musicians try to force two or more styles together for the sake of being different or unique and end up with something that doesn't work. Too often they're looking for the next peanut butter and bananas but end up with peanuts and banana flavored gum.

Indebted to John Lee Hooker, but paying dues to classic rock and punk with an African vibe. Pleasant, quite light. Good electric guitar picking.

Big vibe

Ford commercial music, but good

I think the instrumentals can be seen as generic blues rock that’s nothing to write home about, but the combination with traditional African music styles makes this a really cool and unique listen

Tego jeszcze nie grali, bo pustynnego bluesowania jeszcze nie bylo na liscie, a wlasnie taka muzyke graja songhoy blues, ktory tworzy trzech lub czterech artystow w zaleznosci od info, bo ciezko o rzetelne informacje o bandzie z Mali, czyli jednym z krajow objetych niekonczaca sie wojna, z wojujacym islamem w roli glownej, stad tez geneza tytulu owego albumu, bo czlonkowie bandy zmuszeni byli ewakuowac sie z timbuku na poludnie kraju, po tym jak zbanowali zabawe na polnocy, no i dodatkowo jest to dosc swiezy material, bo music in exile zostal wydany w 2k15, a wojna jak trwala tak trwa nadal, ciezko napisac cos sensownego na temat kontentu tego 40 minutowego krazka, bo jest to blend zachodniego szarpania gitarowego i tradycyjnego spiewania afrykanskiego, wiec wszystko w jednym z malijskich jezykow, z mocnym chorkowaniem i typowym powtarzaniem zwrotow, co daje zludzenie dosc oszczednej liryki, ale moze jest inaczej, tylko dla bialych uszu wszystko brzmi zbyt podobnie, ale jesli chodzi o instrumentale, to czuc z nich czlowieka ktory sie nimi posluguje, dobry balans pomiedzy elektrykami i akustykami jesli chodzi o gitary, gruby basior i wyjatkowo neutralne drumowanie, ktore zazwyczaj w afrykanskiej muzyce wychodzi na pierwszy plan, a ten album jest przedstawieniem w ktorym pierwsza role odgrywa gitara lub gitary w zaleznosci od traka, nie brakuje takze mniejszych instrumentali, ktore naleza raczej do tradycyjnych malijskich wynalazkow, pomimo calkowitego niezrozumienia czesci liryczej i tak dobrze sie sluchalo, bo czuc z tych kawalkow cos prawdziwego, co ciezko zdefiniowac jednoznacznie

Afro-blues-rock. Se me ha hecho un poco pesado... Ni fu ni fa.

No me gusta el estilo.

Bluesy, lush, and emotional

“Desert blues,” a genre I didn’t know existed. Love it. Guitar driven, American blues influenced but very African. Great stuff.

Pleasantly surprised. Very relaxing.

I will admit the language barrier makes it harder but this is very good 4/5.

I always enjoy when I come across these Desert Blues albums from Africa when listening to the various album lists. Definitely a world I want to hear more from. There is something really cool about hearing Western blues and rock influences being integrated back with the African music that forms a lot of the black music tradition in the states (obviously a big over simplification there, but hopefully you know what I mean).

Quite fun, sounds like something from 70s/80s

This album was delightful. Not at all what I was expecting to hear going into it. Favorite track: Irganda

Nice grooves but seems a little bit slack. Like, I can play Jolene but the finger picking is a tricky rhythm, I reckon my dodgy version is still tighter than this? Once I noticed, everything seems a bit sloppy. Good grooves though.

4 in a row! What a great streak. Love this album (their later stuff is great too - well worth diving into!). Along with the likes of Tinariwen and Imarhan, it’s ridiculous to think of how much bluesy/pysch/rock talent has come out of this region.

Interesting story, rhythms were mostly straight up blues rock but the beat was often more interesting and the vocals kept it fresh. Well worth a listen.

Quite enjoyed that, something different. I definitely recognised one or two of the songs, no idea why or where from.

Found it to be quite an interesting album that I ultimately liked. Not understanding the lyrics didn't take away my enjoyment of the album. I think the first half of the album is the stronger side. Highlights for me were "Nick" and "Soubour".

I know the opening track but not sure where I would've heard it.... Probably radio 6. I liked the sound of some the album, the language barrier was always going to make it slightly tricky to really like it I guess. I lost interest as it went on

2/11, 18%

Alright I guess 4/10

new music not my type of music but it had some great guitar playing was a meh for myself

Good, but a little repetitive in style

Meh...ok I guess. 2/5

thought this was a real good afropop album

Something about African rock always excites me—these distant cousins just sound right together. This record really succeeds in incorporating western influences in a natural way, on top of the Malian Blues that’s already an exciting hybrid. There is also a lot of variety here, from the rock focused Soubor to the Ali Farka Toure influenced Wayei to the acoustic Petit Metier. Musicianship is great, vocals are great. Plus the record is an act of defiance against repression and religious fundamentalism, so what more could you ask for?

gesjeslsig

Was oke

Enjoyed it, but the language difference knocks a star off

I know I’m a bit late with this one (since it was yesterday’s album) but COVID has been wiping me out. But better late than never! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Soubour, Nick Have you ever heard alt rock blues from Mali? I’ll be up front and say that I had not. They sing entirely in Songhai which I don’t understand, so I can’t really comment on the lyrics. What I can say though, is you can hear the passion and feeling I’m the singing, and the music itself is excellent. I’m honestly unsure of any bands to compare them to in order to give you an idea of how they sound. If you are a fan of blues music though, definitely give Music In Exile a listen. They’ll definitely be staying in my music library.

Sweet, another one I've never heard of. These are honestly ones that I look forward to the most. Intro guitar has a really nice tone. What language is this? Definitely going to look it up. Gah damn, that guitarist is putting in work toward the end of Soubour. Irganda picks up right away and the bass at the ends slaps, I'm really enjoying this album so far! Very enjoyable, love the last track, Mali. What a gem, this album is.

Some great moments, but a bit too ‘background’ at times. Probably better live.

.... nice, I guess. Just didn't pull me in. But very nice. 3/5

Really good just wish I knew what the lyrics meant

tight as fuck bro 9/10

Best Song: Irganda. Pleasant upbeat dance rhythm. Worst Song: Jolie. Don't know why. Not significantly worse than the others, but the melody didn't hold my interest much. Overall: Really nice stripped down blues. I don't understand the lyrics, but the musicality is sufficient to communicate emotion and tone. My inability to understand it also makes it good for having in the background while working. Music for driving at sunrise/sunset.

Heard it before: No Enjoy it?: Not really, it just came across very repetitive and flat to me. Can’t fault the guitar work in this but ultimately not for me Favourite song: Track 8 - Petit Metier

Extremely interesting album. Catchy, well written and a real hidden gem. The language difference wasn't a problem at all.

Had never heard of this album, and I enjoyed it.

I thought I was gonna dislike it more because it's blues, but it was okay. Can't remember what anything sounds like though. My favourite song was Irganda.

Had never heard of Songhoy Blues, but I'm very familiar with the modern Taureg guitar based music coming out of Niger, and this shares a lot of the same guitar driven similarities. Ultimately, it's a little bit one noted but very enjoyable and very moving.

repetible

Held my attention from start to finish. Great sound.

Not really into non English music to be honest but the guitar on this record is great

Wow the guitar work is awesome. I hear Dan Auerbach in spite of the fact that everything else is very much African.

I preferred the more African beat tracks and overall it's good but not outstanding. Sort of World music with a Blues/Rock slant. Reading the Wiki I'm in support of these guys and their struggles. Well produced and professionally played.

This album blew me away & I can’t wait to listen to more from them. Love some global blues!

afrika mia

A pleasant listen, very much hear Ali Farka Toure in it. Wish I understood the language, seems like they have quite a story to tell being forced out of their homes during civil conflict.

Amazing guitar work. Very enjoyable from start to finish.

It's fine, maybe would be more interesting to me if I could understand the lyrics. Interesting Wikipedia read though, nice guitar work.

After reading Wikipedia, I'm sure this album has great potential to be classical in the future. Mainly for the band members' history and their musical qualities because I think it is pretty hard to be established in the jazz/blues/rock industry without singing in English.

It's alright, a little bland. Didn't really have any moments that grabbed me

Some really nice riffs in this album. I enjoyed the entire album.

SOLID!

Old School rock'n roll met Malinese zang. Top!

Great

Not my style

This was rad. Tribal blues rock, yes please. I thoroughly enjoyed this when it came out and glad I was reminded of its awesomeness.

I really loved bits of this, it was music that felt like it had real joy and real stakes to it. Some real hard-thumping desert blues.

Ok, this was really cool. I had never heard of them before but from the opening of the first song I knew I was into them. And their story? Incredible. I love foreign music so I will definitely be revisiting this.

A nice surprise in this list, maybe need more listens but enjoyable.

Lidt Mali Music men mere rocket i det. Overraskende groovy. Bedste var umiddelbart “Soubour” og “Sekou Oumauro”. Måske værd at lytte til dem

Instrumentalisch und stimmungstechnisch sehr stark. Auch wenn ich leider die Sprache nicht verstehe...

An early example of the safe bet desert blues a sizeable swathe of music crit publications still have an appetite for. Distinctly Saharan sans any especially peculiar instruments or tones, and, crucially, containing nothing to threaten sacred ideas of what constitutes rock and pop. Not knocking the group, just the framework for sticking them in the pantheon. This is nice. Try the Dakhla Sahara Session from Cheveu and Group Doueh from roughly the same time for a more incendiary and politically-charged example of the same kind of music.

Very enjoyable blues, and prompts a great spotify radio

nice music, listened mostly as background music but I enjoyed the rhythms and the album all the way through. 3.7

Not the best album. The instrumentals weren’t that bad but the world theme isn’t one that I enjoy much. This just doesn’t feel all that important. 2.3/10

Top notch tunes and brilliant musicianship make for some compelling blues music in exile from Timbuktu. Powerful stuff, great listen.

Love their sound! Never heard of these guys, but it’s not bad. The language barrier makes it less interesting. Still it’s a good album and I enjoyed listening to it Favourite song: - Soubour

I enjoyed this. Well-produced bluesy fusion of geographical styles.

Really loved this album. I have no idea what they’re singing about but the grooves and players are so sick and the arranging is great. The drums and guitar really remind me of early chess blues and junior kimbrough. Al Hasidic terei - cool triple groove Sekou oumarou- sweet guitars Ai tchere bele- reaaally sick guitar grooves

This is actually really cool. I think I would enjoy this live. The one thing that makes it not 5 stars for me is the different language. So much of music for me is the lyrics so I really want to hear what they are saying. I really like the call and response type lyrics. My favorite is Sekou Oumarou

This album was interesting, it was the combination of two very different sounds and cultures but it came together quite nicely. I always love hearing the vocal melodies of other cultures and how they fit them into contemporary music.

This is why I like this project--I would probably never have listened to this album otherwise. World music isn't usually my thing, but I loved this record. The guitar work is so interesting and filled with what sounds like super eclectic influences. "Soubour" is just awesome. This also helped me remedy some of my ignorance around what Mali has endured in the last decade, as I went down a pretty deep Wikipedia wormhole reading about Timbuktu and Ansar Dine and desert blues. Gotta love militant extremist religious groups who literally BAN MUSIC and force musicians into exile. Apparently there is a documentary film called "They Will Have To Kill Us First" that Songhoy Blues feature prominently in which I'm sure is well worth watching. This album deserves at least a 4, but since we agreed on giving ratings based on our own personal tastes I am reluctantly giving it a 3.

Good riffs, good vocals, solid album.

I love this

Closer to 3.75 stars, interesting world music

Well worthwhile listening to. Most of the album is fairly traditional blues with an touch of Mali, but there are a couple of tracks at the end that seem to be more traditional Malian music (I guess as I don't have a lot of experience of the music from there). The vocals are smoother than Blues would normally have but they work, I will probably look for some more of their work

Dang what an interesting one. In a lot of ways it's pretty standard blues music but these guys fuse it with their native sounds and tones to create something super duper unique.

It was aight.

Not really into it but thought it was kinda interesting. I liked the blending of African and western styles.

It was alright background music, but don't think I'd actively look for more of the same.

I was intrigued by the Western guitar + previously unheard to me Mali vocals

I liked the rhythms and guitar tones. Favorite: Irganda

I dont like it

Nie n clue wat hulle oor sing nie maar die tunes is aan die brand

Blues muy bueno que no pierde su esencia africana. Combina el blues clásico con ritmos de muchas percusiones y pese a no haber buscado el significado de las letras lo disfruté mucho. Imprescindible leer la historia del grupo.

No había acabado la intro de la primera rola y ya me estaba gustando. Ese blues con letra en un lenguaje que no entiendo me llamó mucho la atención. Y luego el disco sigue muy bien, combinando música tradicional africana con blues de una forma muy agradable. El problema es que sí se vuelve un poco largo. Para cuando estaba en la última rola, la verdad ya tenía baja atención y estaba pensando en qué escuchar después. En fin, creo que sin broncas le alcanza para la 4 estrella.

Great tunes! Unfortunately, I can't deal with the unknown language.

Really enjoyed this one

Pretty good stuff, prolly come back to this one

What a discovery this is. Played this non-stop during a whole working day. Beautiful rhythm, the voices combine perfectly. Happy to be in this 1001 albums adventure

The language barrier just ruins this for me 1/5 People say the musicianship is amazing but I think it's meh I've seen much better blues players Sad I can't understand the lyrics God how long is this album

I thought this was so great - really easily listening but totally rad blues. Will look up more about this band!

I've definitely listened to this before and really liked it. I thought it was through doing this list but obviously not! Loved it!

Immediately exiled from the book after one edition! That's harsh, and somehow symbolic. The world doesn't care, but likes to appear that it does, then quietly undo everything when people aren't looking. And so many garbage albums that outlived their relevance years ago remain. Yes, David Grey. Anyway, this is really good. To be fair, there's quite a lot of excellent desert blues and whatnot floating around these days if you listen out for it. Which is a great thing. This is a good example of it.

Nice

Always a trip to see things I thought of as "obscure" pop up here. I like the West African sound, but when more traditional, it tends to all run together. This album does a great job of marrying the structure and modality (?) with traditional western blues rock.

muito bom, pena que não entendo essa lingua

Oh man the guitar playing all over this album is super tasty. Really interesting polyrhythms between guitar and the rhythm section. I particularly enjoyed (actual LOLs) the song where the vocalist pleads "me want a bunny" (Wayei).

Songhoy Blues - refugees from Mali due to religious (Islamic) extremist group Ansar Dine. Interesting album, really enjoyed it. The different styles of blues and rock shined through. Soulful song Mali, I don't know the language but the intent seeps through.

This entire album was a breath of fresh air. The music is fantastic and vibrant, and their voices are so soothing. African rhythms skillfully mixed with traditional blues.

Infectious - even better live.

Está bastante bien este disco. Sorprenden sus guitarras. Toda la música tuareg es más de lo que esperas. Soubour, Wayei o Mali de lo mejor que tiene en mi opinión para un disco que merece la pena oír.

I'm not going to be able to approach these without strong bias from my days in West Africa. Even if it is not something that would go into my regular rotation, this is an album that showcases a strong West African sound that fuses enough US/UK elements to be more widely appreciated.

Soubour is a classic, Wayei great desert-trance, Petit Metier beautiful, and great finish with Desert Melodie and Mali <3

Songhoy enters the legendary Mali music scene and somehow finds themselves at home from the very first strum.

its nice listening to an african album but with modern instrumentals, the melodies are nice and warm and eventhough i can't understand the lyrics, they fit well together to form a harmonious package

My review, a breakdown: - music is really cool, unconventional blues-type stuff: 1 point - making it into the 1001 list despite not being from the UK: 1 point - best album I've ever heard from Mali: 1 point - cover looks like a gay porno: 1 point 4/5.

Alright

An interesting and fun look into music from Mali.

Never heard of this album or, indeed, the band before. I loved it. Track 2 especially (which is now permanently on my MP3 player). Absolutely phenomenal musicians - top class. am currently investigating if they still gig - i'd say when they play live, they'd bring the house down.

3.6 - African blues rock with some fluttery guitar riffs and lullaby melodies sung soulfully.

Really awesome African blues. I'm digging it a lot. I'm surprised this is the first I've heard of it.

Fantastic! A contemporary album from a Mali-based group with original-sounding guitar-centric bluesy music with its own flavor and style? Hecks, YES. This album is outstanding. I'll definitely listen to it again and I'm off to go explore their other music. Beautiful guitar work, fascinating groove, and I want to know more.

KUL med något som inte är från väst! Även om det är tråkigt att det ska krävas en expedition från Damon Albarn, en signering med Julian Casablancas bolag, och en plats i en antologi till 99% fylld med västerländsk musik innan det når mig. Men, tacksam är jag ändå! För, Songhoy Blues från Bamako, Mali, är otroliga! En mix av klassisk rock, blues, och (säkert) traditionella västafrikanska sounds som jag kan för lite om för att göra någon sorts djupare kommentar. Bra är det. RIVSTARTAR med 'Soubour' (vars tunga riffs bitvis för mina tankar till Pattis 'Ain't it Strange') och fortsätter i samma höga tempo med härliga 'Irganda'. På spår tre höjs nivån ytterligare, och 'Al Hassidi Terei' har fantastiska 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'-vibbar i de långsammare partierna. Bredvid de tre öppningslåtarna är 'Petit Metier' det bästa på albumet. Lite ömmare, lättare, akustiskarareare, och vakcrare. Bästa låt: Petit Metier.

I really enjoyed this. It sounded happy. I wished I’d had the opportunity to listen throughout the weekend. High 3*

This was great.

Rhythms, Tones, Layering. Expertly done.

This was a nice album, reminded me a bit of Power of One. Not sure why it's on this list but glad it is just for the variety and it not being a british rock band.

Really cool album! Not a band I'm familiar with, but I was often reminded of Mdou Moctar's Afrique Victime from a couple years ago. Definitely a similar desert rock vibe, although this one veers into more traditional rock and roll style sometimes, which is interesting. Overall a great project to throw on and lose track of time. I always enjoy getting something on this list that isn't from America or England. Favorite tracks: Al Hassidi Terei, Ai Tchere Bele, Petit Metier. Album art: Just a few guys hanging out, as most bands begin. The text is nice, but it's a very simple cover. 4/5

I wasn't sure what to expect from this album but I was pleasantly surprised. The Songhoy Blues' story is truly inspiring, from having to flee their country where the new regime, among other things, banned music. Although they don't look like your traditional blues band, they certainly play like one. It is the perfect blend of that blues sound we are all familiar with, combined perfectly with Malian groove. Best: Nick Worst: Al Tchere Bele

Wasn’t sure what to expect, but this rocked. Sort of like an African version of Black Keys. 3 stars.

Hmm. Does not move me

Songhoy Blues has a fascinating story about cultural roots and geopolitical issues. Make no mistake, this is not just "world music" or even "African music". It's in the name; Songhoy Blues makes music that is a blend of Songhai music and blues rock. Hailing from Timbuktu, the group takes inspiration from Ali Farka Touré (also from Mali) and his style of Songhai music mixed with blues. Honoring the Songhai traditions while exploring other sounds makes for a wholly unique listen. These guys know what they're doing and they're making damn good music. I'll mention now that this album got some exposure thanks to production from Nick Zinner, best known from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I don't know how much he adds in terms of production but I can safely say that this album is not about him. Songhoy Boys are a great band, with or without a fancy American producer.

Pretty sure I've heard this before while looking into African music on Spotify. I also recommend Mdou Moctar to anyone who enjoyed this. Language barrier? I don't care! I just like the way their voices and guitars sound. The singer could be hexing my entire family for all I know. Look at that cover. These guys are better than you and they know it. Four outta five.

Nice

Afro-blues-rock. Se me ha hecho un poco pesado... Ni fu ni fa.

By far the best Malian recording I have in my collection. It is a universe of one. This was highly touted when it was released and is a solid, but not great debut. The range of styles is impressive, but ultimately it is just good.

Overall a pretty interesting record mixing mainstream blues sounds with “world music”. Too bad I couldn’t understand the lyrics. Would like to know what they’re singing about

I liked hearing how an American genre of music was translated to another continent and sung in a different language. Though I did not understand the lyrics, the music underneath was unquestionably the blues.

This rocks!

Musicianship solid, great guitar riffs. Lost in translation though. From Mali - French?

Eh, it was all right. The style didn't do a LOT for me but a couple of the tracks were pretty good. Can't say this album felt like it had a lot of interesting texture though, in terms of production. Fave track: "Mali", the closer, is lovely.

Råtungt

Onaj zadnji je još bolji. Poslušaj

Not the album I expected at all. Absolutely superb. The guitar playing is exceptional.

Really good rockin' blues.

Another difficult rating. I didn't hate it, but lyrics were lost on me since I don't speak the language.

Didn't understand the words at all, but sonically, it was cool.

A soon as I saw Desert Blues my ears perked up. As soon as the opening notes of Soubour kicked in I knew I was in for a treat. What a delightful album. Faves: Soubour, Igranda, Jolie

I probably wouldn't listen to this again but it was really good

Blues with Mali heritage mixed with 60s rock influences. What a great surprise and listen!

Decent album, great combination of African Influences and vocals with some western guitar play

A great listen.

A blues/folk/rock/word music band. I actually like it.

Pleasant, light desert blues album with a fascinating story behind it. Music by Songhoy Blues feels pure and has harmonies not affected by Old World's school. A surprise, but a welcome one.

Może trochę mało bluesa, ale wciąż bardzo przyjemny album. Afrykańskie nuty mają jednak w sobie ten rytm i człowiek, nawet jak nie rozumie o co chodzi w piosence, to się buja do nich.

Nadal nie lubię klimatów bluesowych. Z jednej strony jest to bardzo sympatycznie brzmiące, z drugiej dość nudne muzycznie i powtarzalne. Przeleciało i puścił się jakiś kawałek, który był tak podobny, że nawet nie zauważyłem różnicy. Takie 3.5, ale bliżej 3, bo nigdy nie wrócę.

Decent blues album. The African influences are quite cool to hear combined with the classic rock/blues. I just wish I knew what the lyrics were about, but I can’t knock the band for that. Overall pretty cool. 6/10

This was fun!

Great African Blues!

Great guitars, interesting back-story, lovely voice. No clue what the lyrics are, but I'm sure they're great too.

Refugees from a war-torn country, the words Music in Exile has never felt more apt here as the talents of Songhoy Blues are on full display, showcasing what they are capable of. Favorites: Soubour, Irganda, Nick, Wayei, Jolie, Mali.

I did enjoy this album. It was different for me.

vraiment bien aimé. C'est certain qu'il y a une influence Talkin' timbuktu de Ali farka toure et Ry cooder, même si il se dissocie un peu avec le son plus groové blues. 4

Couldn’t get into it, but not bad.

Great work, generator. Not only is this the perfect soundtrack for while I’m in Africa (not Mali, but still); I also listened to it just the other day. I’ll happily listen to it again though. The seductive grooves, guitar riffs and group vocals are a delight. A very enjoyable and evocative listen, even if I can’t understand the words.

It's energetic and engaging. Hadn't heard of them before, but it sounds good!

It's really hard to know how to rate a foreign language album when it is so lyrically prominent... it's not just about rhythm and mood but the lyrics too that you don't understand. I liked Nick, Petit Metier and Jolie a lot. Good, but hard to appreciate more than a 3.

Obviously only listened through once, but some great tunes, even if I didn’t understand the lyrics.

didn't hate it. Based on wikipedia seems like they have really interesting history and motives, but due to the language barrier and the fact im not really into blues music thats 2

Those boys can groove and jam, really nailed the style. 3.75 if I could.

This is really excellent. Great mix of the energetic and the laid back, with some solid guitar work. Loved it. Fave Songs: Sekou Oumarou, Petit Metier, Desert Melodie, Weyei, Jolie, Nick, Soubour

Also highly recommend Mdou Moctar if you like this stuff!

I'm always down for some North African guitar music, but my knowledge of the tradition is shallow. There's nothing formal to write home about here, but it's clearly a music informed by different histories than the material I already love. The production makes Music In Exile sound very normal, which is hardly a bad thing but removes some of the distinctive heft.

Brabos

bão

dlv

Mali blues!

Really enjoyed this. I wish I could follow / understand the lyrics, but really enjoyed the mood and energy of this throughout. Will definitely play again.

I'm starting to see the appeal of desert blues. I've no idea what the lyrics are about. They're probably singing about egg mayo sandwiches. But this does sound like an uprising, even if I don't know what I'm uprising against.

Kakav cover, čudo. Ja sjedim, lijevo je Ivan ili desno ili zapravo on sjedi jer nemaju baš kose, a ja sam onaj iza, naslonjen, a ostatak si sami popunite. Rekao bih Tomi i Zvono, ali ono, može i Anita i Jura. ne vjerujte coveru što se tiče glazbe.

Nisam očekivo ovo s coverom, super haahahah

Ah, this was brilliant. So laid-back and enjoyable.

Really enjoyed the beats in this album even if I couldnt understand the lyrics. I wasn't sure how to describe the kind of music until I read the Wikipedia and they called it "desert blues," which really fits. Knowing their story makes the music all the more impactful. Great album.

Rated 3

Not really into music that isn’t in English so can’t really provide a good review. Music was good but not something I enjoyed to listen to.

There’s more authenticity on this single LP than all of last year’s Top 40 releases combined. While not breaking any new ground musically, Songhoy are playing directly from the heart with all the chops needed to back it up. Exceedingly rare to hear music made simply for expressions sake, and though this may be ‘just’ a blues-inspired rock album it’s a damn good listen when all is said and done.

Just OK

It was okay, not really my vibe though.