Reviews (page 3 of 13)
Solid 4, love this beautiful world music
Right off the bat the album hits you with some great guitar. The vocals don't sound like your typical blues though. The guitars are amazing though. Overall I liked the guitars and blues sounding parts, but didn't like the vocals that much and wasn't my type of music.
Really nice to listen to. Great vocals and guitar work in particular. Loved Soubour when it came out and it still slaps.
This album was great! Traditional African by way of electronic blues rock (or maybe the other way around). I like the opening track the most; it absolutely slaps. The album actually seems to move from blues rock toward the closing track, Mali, which feels much more traditional. Really fascinating album.
I really enjoyed this, African rock, one of the songs I really liked but I forget which one
strong 6music vibes, but I enjoyed that
Probably never would have heard this without this site tbf Pleasant but not really my thing
Found the first few tracks life-affirming stuff but the second half(-ish) less interesting and a bit ‘desert blues by numbers’ in parts. Didn’t like the Kashmir cover much. Enjoyable overall though and will revisit.
Love it. Listening to it while working was good.
A great band I’d forgotten about. Saw their live show at Glastonbury around the time this album came out. Thank you for bringing their grooves back to me!
African rock? Hell yeah. Their wiki summary is so hard rock. Bluesy with african vibes. This is the kind of album I would have never heard of that I'm here for. 5*
Very Nice! Some good blues mixed with some sounds I haven’t experienced before, but I can dig it!
Hyvin hyvin mielenkiintoista
Wonderful.
Yeah, nah. The music wasn't unpleasant, chill blues, but I have a real hard time connecting with music in foreign language so I don't get any of the lyrics. It's a 'me' thing, but even without that, the blues wasn't all that memorable from the riffs or the licks and the vocals weren't so good that I could still connect overall.
A little repetitive, but really nice listening, good rock and roll
Good beats, I enjoyed having the opportunity to listen to something different and more global! After a while I got bored of it and DNF. (3)
Would have been better if the vocals weren’t just repeated lines for four minutes. Would have been better if the guitar lick was more than a 4 second loop repeated for four minutes. I don’t speak the language but could tell that it was really like 10 seconds of music stretched to four minutes for every song. 3/10
I had literally no clue what they were saying, but it was a really fun time. I'd be a little surprised if this sticks around in newer versions of this list, but it's so unique and definitely not something I would have listened to without this list. Favorite Songs: Soubour, Al Hassidi Terei
Mi sono piaciute molto, ovviamente il testo non ho idea di cosa parli peró hanno un bel ritmo
Great album, no favorite songs but listened to it three times.
C'MON BOYS THIS IS WHAT IT'S ABOUT. Super solid album. Cool influences. Great sound.
Nice nice nice. Nee experience, sounds cool
🤨
interesting
I can honestly say that before today, I could count the amount of Malian artists I've listed to on zero hands. I started this and "Soubour" hit me like a truck. The guitar enters slowly and then speeds up, almost like an engine revving up. Then before you know it this song speeding down the road and your adventure has started. To be fair I thought this album being in Songhai would be an impediment, but all its done is made me scour the internet for some translations. Unfortunately I had almost no luck on that front only finding a translation for "Sekou Oumaru". Seriously though, that didnt matter to me, you can still feel every bit of emotion even without understanding the language. Also, a genre called desert blues is pretty much the coolest genre name ever coined.
It is alright but not my sort of thing
Rate: 9.5/10.
cool af 4/5
This is why we do this list
It was fine.
A really interesting blend of musical styles. A truly unique album on here, which is not easy when there are 1001 on the list. There is much to like, and really nothing to dislike here. It just misses something to really make it stand out among the many really good albums. 4/5
Okay, this was pretty damn awesome. Hell yeah.
Beautiful, tragic, lovely
Great! Not sure what I was expecting, but the quality throughout is impressive. It's varied and consistently enjoyable. Not being able to understand the lyrics wasn't a huge downside, but it was a little frustrating, since I imagine it would've elevated the experience even more. Truly a great album!
Love the sound. Difficult to speak about it more.
3
Cool concept, but I don't really see why I should hear this before I die. The songs (and the album as a whole) grow tiresome real quick.
Vibrant colourful blues
This is what I was hoping for from this list! Something that I've never heard of and is awesome. Absolutely love the guitar playing, such unique and interesting phrasing. Will be adding this to my regular rotation. I haven't picked standout tracks for my 1001 playlist yet but it will definitely be from the first half of the album. Good stuff!
2/5
Un très grand oui Génial, un album de blues en 2015 c'est très très très ballzy. C'est super en tout cas
Incroyable, tellement d'énergie
I'm so happy to find that this album is on this list! It's been one of my favorites for years.
7/10
It's fine. I was fearing it would be more blues rock revival influenced after the first song but it thankfully wasn't
I really liked this. The guitars sounded awesome, the whole thing sounded like a gritty blues album with African melodic and rhythmic influences.
Para lo raro que se me hace escuchar musica de Mali, este album es bastante digerible y con una instrumentalidad que mezcla la influencia africana con cositas mas occidentales a las que estoy acostumbrada. No entendi un pedo de lo que dicen pero quien soy yo para hablar si soy fan de liz fraser 7/10
this rules. i love when afro-(insert genre here) stuff like this pops up. hopefully there’s more. reminds me of tinariwen had a baby with fela kuti.
Excellent blues but I love the garage rock vibes to some of it.
Liked this quite a bit
Awesome. The backstory is also inspiring.
Afrikan blues rock, other worthy OG blues artists Irganda Nick
2 songs in, and I’m loving this. Ok… the rest of the album did not disappoint. This music is just fun (in places), moving (in places), and infectious throughout. Just grooves. Such a find. Would have never known about this group or this “desert blues” music from Mali but for this project. This is one of those records I was hoping to find . Absolutely love this! Adding to my regular rotation.
Blows everything else I've had this past week out of the water. Exasperated by the poor choices over the past few days. Contemplating giving up on the whole thing, but this has restored my faith! It’s a genre I was completely unaware of but it’s superb stuff and highly recommended.
Overall: 4.11 (rounded to 4) Consistency: 4.45 Originality: 3.5 Enjoyment: 4.5 Virtuosity: 4 1. Soubour - 5 2. Irganda - 5 3. Al Hassidi Terei - 4 4. Sekou Oumarou - 4 5. Nick - 5 6. Ai Tchere Bele - 4 7. Wayei - 4 8. Petit Metier - 5 9. Jolie - 4 10. Desert Melodie - 5 11. Mali - 4
This is exactly the type of album I signed up on this site for.
YES! This is the shit I anticipated signing up for this list!
3 de 5 El álbum debut de la banda maliense Songhoy Blues coproducido por Nick Zinner, es una mezcla increíble de desert blues, melodías tradicionales de Tombuctú y rock visceral. Nació como un acto de resistencia cultural tras huir de yihadistas que prohibieron la música en el norte de Mali; los ritmos africanos y los cantos en dialecto Songhoy se entrelazan con guitarras eléctricas ágiles y potentes, que también evocan al blues estadounidense (John Lee Hooker). A destacar: Track 1 - Soubour Track 5 - Nick Track 7 - Wayei Track 8 - Petit Metier Track 10 - Desert Melodie
oh shit
this is nice. i don't think i'm often in the mood for something like this, but this is still lovely music. would listen to it again
niet helemaal convinced
Very fun listen! Never heard of desert blues and never listened to a band from Mali before. Great experience, why I love this list.
När det är mycket blues inspiration är det kanon. Däremellan plattare. En svag fyrs
Really loved this one. I'd never heard of Songhoy Blues but I'm very happy to be introduced to them. Their rhythm and tempo was just the perfect soundtrack to my sunny bank holiday. Great vibes all round. Favourites: Soubour Irganda Nick Al Tchere Beli
Amazing opener! Sounds new and I love it
Super cool album and incredible story. I’m going to have to seek out this documentary. Great listen.
I knew this would be a 5 star album the moment the first song played. GYYYYAAAATTTTTYTT DDDAAAYYUMMMM THIS SHIT GOOD‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ Fav song: Soubour
this is going on repeat all day baby
Good to have a bit of desert blues in the list.
More African Jazz. Liked it a bit more than the recent Toure album they’re not doubt influenced by.
3.5 stars. Definitely will revisit this one. My new found passion for Rammstein opens up the way for this. Meaning that I'm more tolerant of stuff not in English. No idea what they're singing about, but it's catchy!
rock africano? una cosa que no sabía que necesitaba increíble, y la historia de Mali detrás, realmente music in exile simplemente uau
This was cool! I love finding music like this on the generator. Great guitar work on this album.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. Its loaded with some killer riffs and grooves. 3.5
Some really fun grooves and guitar in this. Pleasantly surprised.
Parts of this I didn't like but there was more that I did like. It was more the groove than the melody that I found appealing.
3.75 - That was a great first time listen.
Really great album, feels like a vibe all the way through. These are the kind of albums that I appreciate on the list because I don’t think I would have been exposed to it otherwise.
Excellent album! Happy to have discovered this music!!
I mean, you can definitely tell they LOVE The Black Keys and Led Zeppelin. And that’s fine, doing something inspired by someone else isn’t bad, and they do it pretty well here. The instrumentation is fun, the choruses are catchy, one can only assume the lyrics are phenomenal. I wouldn’t know, but I’m assuming. Favorites: Soubour, Irganda, Ai Tchere Bele
This was much more interesting than many of the English speaking albums on this list.
Where are these guys from... TIMBUKTU!!? *soyjacks and cums*
Fun
8/10 - Fantastic album. one of the reasons i love the 1001 challenge - i never would've given these folks a chance. Not a clue what the songs are about, but I feel the passion and energy the group brings Fav Tracks: Soubour, Wayei Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? --–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? -- ✅ Album Cover ------- back. street. boys. ALRIGHT
It was good this. Blusey and funky
it's not bad, but it's just not for me
Interesting
Groovy and awesome. Hopefully the sentiment of the words is okay 😅
Once, many years ago, I heard Bombino at Ottawa Folk Festival. I was entranced. I bought his CD. I never listened to it again. Perhaps this type of music is better live. Anyway, I liked this but I'd know better than to buy the CD now.
fun, danceable ... repetitive. punkish blues from Mali
Finally, something I hadn’t heard of that turns out to be really good! I’ll be checking out everything else these guys have released.
really good. “soubour” is a gorgeous album opener. first half is the strongest, tho i liked “jolie” towards the end.
Funky. Bangers.
this was a really interesting one!! i have not really listened to a lot of blues records, let alone desert blues, but i really appreciated the instrumentation! this makes for very wonderful background music, and the language they sing in (north african i think?) sounds very warm. this was also just a nice break from all the rock. not much else to add, was just a really pleasant time. highlights: soubour, sekou oumarou, al hassidi terei
When to listen: in the mood for a global jam sound. Good energy. cool influences, cool story.
This is why I'm doing the 1001 Albums - finding little gems like this that I would be very unlikely to find on my own. It's a fun album with a really unique sound.
Songhoy Blues – Music in Exile (2015) Day 145 was decent and refreshing to hear something from the motherland. This album has a unique desert blues sound that is just great. The guitar work all around this project is a masterpiece, especially on "Soubour" and my personal favorite, "Al Hassidi Terei," which has an incredible groove, mood, and vibe. The range here is immense. "Nick" was great and felt much more refined than other tracks, while "Sekou Oumarou," "Wayei," and "Ai Tchere Bele" (especially "Ai") featured stellar guitar work. "Petit Metier" was another great standout, and "Jolie" showed off a beautiful, mellow vocal range. The inclusion of "Desert" and "Mali" further proved their vocal depth. Although it was a real tussle to actually find the album and save it for easy accessibility, and despite the language barrier, the music speaks for itself. An undeniable 5/5.
Qué carajo acabo de escuchar jajajaj. Yo que estaba enojado porque eran todos discos en inglés.
should come with a warning label BANGER ALERT
Cool album, cool looking band too. Very groovy. Soubour and Petit Metier were my favorites. 6.4/10
great instrumentals but the vocals were a little lacking, might be the fault of the audio quality though
A pleasing diversion. Good musicianship and some decent songs. Nice to have a bit more variety than the usual fare.
Really enjoyed this despite it being pretty rainy - it feels like the kind of thing that ought to be playing in the blazing heat of a summer day. Repetitive melodic phrases and singing but not to the point where I ever got bored of it, sharing a similar hallmark to the afrobeats of Fela Kuti. The lack of brass didn’t lose anything too significant here though, and if anything, made me pay more attention to the percussive elements which I really enjoyed. Something worth revisiting.
Desert blues from Timbuktu?? I could get behind this. Thank god it's actually something. Oh none of its English. That's kinda hype. Very interesting. Wow this is actually music in exile. I'm really rocking with this. Amazing guitar work on this bad boy. Really really like this one. The guitar is genuinely breathtaking. Favourite: Irganda Least favourite: Nick
Música de negros, para negros, que se ha vuelto increíblemente comercial y gracias a eso, tenemos maravillas como esta, a pesar que la mayor parte del tiempo me sentía confundido de escuchar lo que estaba escuchando, se siente blues en cada nota, no es algo hecho al azar, gran disco.
Loved it!!
I loved the story behind this - the way that music forces its way through the most dire situations and can bring people back to countries that have been stolen from them is one of the most inspiring and enduring lessons you can learn. I also just, y'know, liked listening to this. Because I could only pick up the odd bit of lyricism, it became a little repetitive, but that's on me and my poor language skills.
Liked this better than I expected, but got a little repetitive by the end. Good vibe, though.
Bluesy desert groove with a steady, warm vibe that works great as background even without understanding the lyrics.
Three men with the same surname (unrelated) came together to create an album drawing from their Songhoy heritage, however, don't be mistaken - it is a rock album, as the guitar riffs often make the songs in the album. The cultural and political context of the album is both devastating and inspiring. After an islamic oppressor forbids any music, creating such an album is both a celebration of the heritage and a resistance to those who want to silence those who sing. Favourite songs: Petit Metier, Jolie, Desert Melodie. Songhoy Blues blend the ethnic rhythms with a traditional rock sound to create a transformative sound that is as unique, as it is welcomed.
Really cool album, Malian rock and roll! Didn’t understand a single word in the whole album but it had really cools vibes!
Great guitar jams on this one. I was definitely grooving. I think I've heard 2 artists from Timbuktu and both just killed on guitar. New travel destination unlocked???
wtf
5/10
DNF
3.5/5
I liked it a lot - would never have heard of it without this. I love the beat - reminds me a bit of Bhundu Boys.
OK, fair play, never let it be said, I thoroughly enjoyed this...
Yeah, pretty funky and fun!
Almost skipped the whole album because of the car add first song but the rest is amazing
You can hear the rain outside my window and the desert blues inside. Being betwixt and between is not just for this scene but for this band of exiles as well. I appreciate the incorporation of blues music into their context and think it's generally successful on the record. The political dimension of the record might be lost without some research, but the songs match what you'd expect by reading their Wikipedia entry or knowing about the civil conflict of the 2010s in Mali. A greater connection to the themes of resilience, unity, and hope would only reinforce how I feel in this review — important music, pretty solid, but not something I'm going to reach for frequently.
I don’t know when I would ever listen to this again. Unique experience. I like the chanting.
I've been put into Mdou Moctar and Tinariwen, and I'm really excited to be able to put Songhoy Blues on for others!
I said at the start I don't want to be too liberal with 5s but this was so unique and full of sonic flavour. I would have never even known this record existed without this challenge so wahey
This is the best part of the challenge, finding an album you’d never listen to usually and discovering a hidden gem
This was awesome! Better and more interesting than most stuff I hear in the states while still retaining catchiness and musicality
I didn't like this. Very simplistic. I don't know who made this list.
6.5/10
This was a very well done album. The songwriting was great, the musicianship was great, everything about it screamed great. Is this something I would come back, to probably not. But I respect it a lot.
Fun album
Really nice bluesy African guitar music.
I enjoyed listening to this but there it was just missing those moments that make it really stand out.
Ahhh. Music is so just situation dependent. I got this on a rainy miserable Sunday when I felt rubbish. On a different day I’m sure this could be something I love but right now I have a headache and want to go back to bed. This was far too chipper and annoyed me. When it ended I listened to The Microphones and Songs:Ohia.
I wasn’t familiar with the term “Desert Blues,” but it’s quite clear that the blues must play an important role in parts of Africa. On *Music In Exile*, Songhoy Blues seamlessly blend American and African influences, thereby demonstrating where the blues tradition originates. In comparison, I would describe the “African school” as more relaxed and rhythmic than the traditions from the Mississippi Delta or Chicago. I find it fascinating, and it’s definitely worth a listen. This project is perfect for discoveries like this!
Totally out of my comfort zone but I liked the experience of listening to it!
Absolute banger of an album!
Wow! This album absolutely slaps! Amazing blues rock tunes which you can get lost in.
Another one I really enjoyed. This little side quest is great because I know I love music from around the world but it can feel overwhelming deciding where to start but this keeps bringing me music I would never have known to search for but is absolutely my kind of thing!
5/10
Really enjoyed this album, but it didn’t fully stand out for me. Very talented, but at times the songs blended together a little. Still I love finding new music like this on the list that I probably would have never come across on my own.
Highlights: Soubour, Sekou Oumarou, Nick, Wayei I sure didn't expect Malian alt rock on this list. Reading about their story I've got the notion that they are a bit of an industry plant. They had a crazy amount of backing from industry veterans. I do like the music though, but I do have to say that it has a heavy western alt sound which is, given the earlier context, obviously not a coincidence. It's sad that this is probably on this list mostly because of that backing. Also, it's a shame I couldn't find a translation of most of the lyrics because I am interested in what they have to say since their background story is quite interesting. Without knowing that, I'm left with a bunch of same-ish sounding imitations of alt rock with their national elements.
Honestly, I never thought an album like this would find its way onto the list. Thought the creator would find a way to include another Elvis Costello album instead. Awesome sub-sahel sound. Not my favorite of the genre but a great addition.
Enjoyed this a lot, loads of fun. Maybe just gets a little bit same-y though
This is another example of why I'm glad that I'm going through this project a new band that I had not heard before. Pretty good album, not a 5 star but still pretty good.
Interesante, no me esperaba que tenga una carga de blues rock tan grande, me sorprendió en varios momentos, a pesar de no entender nada de lo que dicen las letras ya la música me convenció de que está bueno.
Don’t know this… Really lovely. This is why I’m here. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes, very glad to hear before I die. Hopefully I can listen many more times before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
Refreshing, fun, lively, interesting.
Way outside my wheelhouse, but I really enjoyed listening to this. Wouldn't necessarily return to it, but appreciate it for what it is. 3/5.
This is cool, I hadn’t heard of them before!
A lot of people want this list to expose them to seldom heard and/or impactful albums, and this definitely fits the bill. It's not a particularly impressive album musically speaking and starts to get samey real fast, but it does have some cool stuff in it. Pretty standard but well done outlaw blues rock riffs are on almost every song. A few dissonant and mysterious chord progressions break up the monotony. The main appeal of this music is probably the vocals, in particular these chants that pop up often. They add a gravity to a genre that admittedly has lost its edge over the past century or so of its life. An interesting listen.
The music was enjoyable and I think I got about as much out of the album as I could.
3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/songhoy-blues/music-in-exile/ Some nice grooves, but didn’t grab my attention too much. Hurray for diversity in the list, though!
Funtastic
😬
Loved this. This is what’s amazing about this project; getting to listen to stuff you would have never otherwise. My favs were Mali, Petit Metier, the Should I stay or should I go now cover and Kashmir.
This cured something inside me I didn't know needed healing
Great guitar, strong vocals, big energy. And also a breath of fresh air to have something a little different on this list ha is absolutely smothered with western music.
A great genre improved by this band
What? This is fire. Soubour will be a repeated listen I can tell.
These dudes can play, unfortunately just not my kind of jam.
mr worldwide
Seriously, much more like it 👌
Cool story behind the album Not my style but giving it 3 for production and creativity
This was cool
Aunque no hubiera ninguna canción que me gustara en particular, me gustó la experiencia en conjunto. También me gustó investigar sobre la banda y sus orígenes, aprendí mucho.
This was really good! I enjoyed the vibes
Well It was interesting for sure :D
I ended up liking this album A LOT more than I thought when I first listened and realized it's not in English. Beats/vibes were immaculate.
This album was a 'vibe'. Loved it. The lyrics...I don't speak the language, but they worked as an instrument in themselves.
okay, vor allem die Geschichte. Aber ist das ein Klassiker?
This was a great discovery for me, really enjoyed it and definitely entered by regular rotation.
Very beautiful. Mdou Moctar without the wailing overdrive.
Didn't care much for this one
Musics catchy but not understanding the lyrics takes away from it
This is what I signed up for! Up next on 600 punk albums from the 70s that could put you to sleep…
Best Track - "Soubour"
Sjarmerende og kult til tider. Repeterende og intetsigende ellers.
Likte det! Soubour og Petit Metier lagt til i lista.
Har hørt nok på de gamle mesterne innen dessert blues, til å kunne fastslå at denne plata er repeterende og flat.
Første halvdel e kanon, så dabbe det litt av. Runde opp til firer.
Åpenbart bra, men også litt for mye av det samme. Språkbarrieren blir for stor.
Wonderful music. I am acquainted with some of this 'Bamako music' via Ali Farka Touré, Amadou et Mariam, Tinariwen, and others. The documentary featuring this band escaped my notice, and I may have to look for a time to watch it.
These guys are so cool!
Would’ve never come across this without this list. Interested to give this a listen. No idea what it will be. Blues rock that’s pretty solid. Even without understanding the lyrics, it’s some good music. Some great guitars. Liked the more straightforward opening track more than some of the stuff after. But it’s all pretty good. I guess the African influence is what’s heard in a lot of the songs. It’s an interesting sound because you recognize those guitars and yet it all sounds different. Unique sound. Not sure it’s something I would ever choose to listen to on my own, but don’t dislike it, somewhere between a 2 and 3. The guitars rock. The blues rock sound is present throughout. Just doesn’t fully connect or grow beyond those first few songs. Even the less rock heavy sounds are interesting. Not sure which way to go on this.
Really, really good. Western style blues over a not so western style rhythm.
Favorite Song: Nick
I have never heard of this band before, didn’t understand a word they sang but the music was fantastic! Have it on my list of an album to buy.
No es mi estilo de musica, por lo tanto lo califico con un 3, porque no puedo decir que me guste o no me gusta.
Nice
Chill
Totally listenable
Another album that was totally new to me, and it’s a great listen. Favourite track: Petit Metier
First thought: "well, I've never listened to music from Mali before." Second thought: "oh damn, there's a riff here." It's distinctly bluesy and very guitar and vocals-based. There are a bunch of influences that are totally distinct from my Western blues experiences, though: melodies sound like they have an influence from Arab or Indian vocal melodies with all the ornamentation and the guitar riffs during rhythm sections sound almost like Chinese zither melodies. I can't tell you if those are real relationships or if they're coincidences and this is all pure Malian influence; I'm more or less floating in space in terms of how unmoored I am. Apparently, there's a whole genre called Desert Blues that I've never heard of and this is my introduction to it. That's exactly what I'm working through The List for. 4/5; not world-bending but what a record and what an intro to a genre
Me encantóooo
Really liked this. I've listened to more African music this past year than I have my whole life. I will definitely add this in my rotation.
It was not at all what I was expecting. In a very good way. It really has a special spiritual listening experience. But it's also a punching rock album. Track 3 is a great example for that. Track 7 also has great spiritual qualities to it, with the high backing vocals, rolling guitar, and vamp feeling. Lovely track. 8 is one of the most moving here. A very strong chorus. Also the acoustic closer, Mali, is a highlight. I really enjoyed this one. It's wonderful, worm, deep, groovy and and fun. It deserves a 4.
First album to come up from Africa. Delightful surprise
Didn't really care for this album
It was hard to engage fully in the music, not knowing the language they were singing in, but the music as a whole has a lot of feel and passion throughout. My main fault with this album was the tonal shift in the second half... There was a clear shift in the songs, from more upbeat and experimental to sorrowful, and it made the second half of the album fall slightly flat for me. Favourites: Soubour Irganda Al Tchere Bele
I liked this one. It has a cool vibe and the music itself is pretty good. 7.5/10 Top song Al hassidi terei
Lovely.
Didn't understand a thing but I really enjoyed it.
Competent. Other than the history lesson, though, it just wasn't able to grab my interest. The music's not my genre, and the language is obviously a barrier to appreciating the lyrics.
I really loved this. This was the kinda album I was hoping to pick up on this endeavor. Something I wouldn’t ever run across on my own.
This is awesome. Not something I'd listen to normally, but so glad I got to hear it Can't understand a word they're saying and although I wish I could that is part of the beauty, the music and their voices carry the album and this was a very enjoyable listen
Abumbalakaka ama çok sıkıldım ya benlik değil o kadar
like last album, it’s not what i usually listen to, and probably i won’t listen to it again. it reminded me of the songs i listened to when i was in morocco, which i enjoyed the first times i listened to them, but after a while they got exhausting. so for this one steaming i did i was vibing, but i don’t think i will ever make it past the second.
This was really cool. Enjoyed it a lot. Quite a different feel to it.
Kinda vibey. No idea what it’s about but I enjoyed it
That was pretty awesome. Could make good working music
Pretty good African record with some takes on rock. I liked the rock songs the most but stuff like Desert Melodie was also pretty good
Love this sound from Mali. Great sample of music from there.
African music is the heart of blues music and subsequently rock n roll as well. It's fascinating to hear that American art form refiltered through its African roots. I've been a fan of Ali Farka Touré for many years now and there are obviously a lot of similarities between his work and Songhoy Blues. But SB are different enough to make it a unique and interesting listen. 4/5
I enjoyed this.
Nice listening to it in the background, very cool story about the group
Going in with an open heart ♥️ Vibed with it but won’t come back to it on my own
Good. Different
Wasn't expecting this, but some solid rock and blues.
Love this. Album flew by, took me to a place and I love the rhythms.
I liked this way more than I expected to
Yeah some cool grooves
No sé qué carajos dijeron en todo el álbum, pero un aplauso para el guitarrista que lo dio todo, denle ya un Grammy, por favor.
Wait this is amazing!!! First three songs are complete BANGERS.
I had worried this list would be English-only and was gladly mistaken. This album was a lot of fun and combined a few different styles of music I like to make something I liked even a little more.
me gustó mucho, es un álbum lleno de historias y resiliencia y me encanta el mensaje que deja. "mientras haya música hay esperanza"
Buenos músicos pero no es demasiado mi rollo
Very interesting discovery
Definitely not my usual taste but I still enjoyed it
It is really interesting this type of music for me, 'cause it is very similar to a genre born here in Peru tht is called huayno and I love it
Good album fantastic spacious guitar sound. This African Desert Blues has been a welcome addition to the rock landscape in the 21st century. They’re better live than on this album though and other Malian guitar groups have exceeded it. But a solid addition to their cannon.
Some good, groovy, rockin' tunes on here. It got a bit same-y by the end of the album, but there's no denying the talent on display here.
Right of the bat, the rhythm and the singing, ugh so fine. The latter half of the album didn't hit so much than the first half, but it was a great listen and put me on a good mood. The story behind the band is also interesting although tragic.
Grandes interpretaciones musicales, tal vez por el choque de culturas no pude entender realmente el impacto que tiene, pero en cuanto musica es fantástico
Surprenant
Songs recorded in a context that can't be imagined from a European or US-American perspective, in which political statements are a foundation of the music itself.
Idk what they're saying but I like the way they say it
another new band for me. always on the lookout for good Afro pop, and this fits the bill. great stuff
Such a cool listen. I was more acquainted with other Malian artists such as Ali Farka Touré but this is a record that encapsulates well that sound as appears to be an easy entry point to that sort of music. 8/10 [KEEP]
before listening: "world music" :( on hitting play: "oh damn, ok"
I really like this one, refreshing and upbeat, very different to what I normally listen to. My only ding is the songs and the album seem to be at one speed. Most songs jump into an up tempo groove and just don't deviate at all - no tempo change to build tension. Definitely so.e exceptions but a lot of it felt like it was on the same pattern. Will be back!
YES MATE
Driving beats, precise play – sounds like a hell of a lot of fun during the recording.
‘Songhoy Blues’ – the band name made me fear the worst. Because anyone who knows me knows how little I can be bothered with 95% of the blues and blues-rock noodling out there. But fortunately, the album has very little to do with classic blues or blues-rock; instead, it is an excellent example of African ‘Desert Blues’ (according to Wikipedia), which is musically much more complex. Although, of course, you can’t understand a single word – the lyrics are apparently in Songhay, the language of northern Mali – the music is rhythmically structured and universally accessible. A good example of an album I probably would never have heard if it weren’t for the “1001 albums you must hear before you die” website.
Oh hell yeah, this is fantastic blues. Super fresh and groovy. Language barrier is absolutely no problem either. Gonna need to seek out more of this desert blues thing.
Not terrible
Will never listen again but I quite enjoyed
La verdad que pense que no me iba a gustar por que nunca lo vi en mi vida, pero la verdsd me gustó.
good god, 'Soubour' is a fuckin BOP
Great. I liked it. A bit of Carlos Santana in there.
Decent vibe icl
Good album.
Probably a 4 or so without the language barrier. Grooves, sounds great. Cool backstory. Just got a little samey for me 2/3rds of the way through. Love the last track.
it's a vibe
Never heard of this band or this project, but this shit ruled.
The music on this album sounded great, do not speak the language but from reading their sentiments are hopeful and worth a listen.
Erikoista. Todella erikoista. Viidakkofibat. Ei varmaan mene jatkokuunteluun, mutta ihan kivoista bluussahteluista pari tähteä, ja erikoisuudesta ylimääräinen Viidakon Tähtönen.
Very enjoyable upbeat listen
solide cleaner sound ersten fünf tracks könnte man auch unter eine ford werbung packen nicht komplett meins
Well this was a surprise. I thought I wouldn't like it but it is a surprisingly nice album to listen to.
Much better after a couple of duds. What’s not to like about Malians covering the Clash?!
surprisingly good album
A nice listen, with a bluesy rock sound with hints of African music laced throughout. Even more extraordinary that this record exists given what its members had gone through to make it! It probably washed over me after a while though. It all had a good sound, but faded into the background as songs became a bit similar.
What an incredible back-story this album has! The music on it isn’t quite as remarkable, but it’s still pretty decent. It’s essentially American-style blues-rock with a Malian twist, in a similar mould to Tinariwen and Ali Farka Touré, who I’m very slightly more familiar with. My inability to understand the lyrics does mean I’m unfortunately unable to appreciate all aspects of the music; no fault of the band, of course, but it does factor into my personal rating. There is a good level of energy throughout, and enough variety to keep my interest to the end. Enough for 3 stars.
A lot of the emotion does get lost in translation, but there are some good jams.
This album is pretty unique!
Не удалось послушать :((((
v cool
Pretty enjoyable.
This was an interesting album, and I love international music. Obviously not knowing the language, I can't connect heavily to it, but that that's the beauty of music. It's one of the better albums I've had so far in this project, because I could return to it and find something new each time. Wonderful music to work to, the instruments are uplifting and resoundingly melodious.
Hvem skulle trodd at musikk kunne være gøy! ZZ Top i toppform men de er Fela Kuti-stans? Noe sånt. Best når de glemmer at de egentlig skal spille bluesrock. Sterk 3er? Lunken 4er? Nå synes jeg det har vært såpass mye dritt at det her høres ut som et mesterverk i forhold.
For en energibunt av en plate. Fett!
when I will go to Mali I will mention that I know this group
This one’s cool because the instrumentals are unashamedly Western, just with non-English vocals. They’re definitely bluesy, and each song is actually distinct from one another. That’s something American blues rock bands should take note of. Their story is really interesting, but it’s hard to find trustworthy lyric translations for their songs. I think the feelings of the music carry through, but I wish I had a little more regarding the lyrics. Again, good background listen and they’d probably kick ass live, but not something I’d jump for again. Favorite track: Petit Metier
Mesmo não entendendo as letras a vibe da música é muito boa
Greenbelt esque bangers
Catchy
Quite enjoyable and very different!
Some of the best driving music I have ever heard. Funky ass blues. 3.6
Inte illa, men world music kräver för mycket
nice and smooth album
This album is amazing and happy to see it on the list.
I feel like i need more context but some of these songs really fucked
refreshing international sounds that I will never listen to again.
3.5
Surprised but a good un
Like how hypnotic and repetitive (in a good way) this is but wish it had a less polished production and would just generally get even wilder and into more psychedelic territories. Either way, this is, again, the type of albums I wish this list had more of.
Holy shit, this is a cool album. The guitar is insane. I didn't expect more traditional African style vocals to work so well with rock music. This is a true gem that I would have never listened to if not for the generator.
Pretty good. Would I ever listen again? Probably not. Did I enjoy it? Also probably not. I would absolutely recommend this to someone who wants to listen to music made by people from Tumbuktu, though.
lyrics are not english, but the music is nice. Good beat, great rhythms.
refreshing in the sea of white rock. zamrock will always be better to me
Didn't understand any of the lyrics but the music was really good.
Uhmm I don't know Stand-outs - Irganda - Petit Metier
This was not what I was expecting, I don't know what I was but not this, and it was pretty good!
Incredible backstory to this band that shows in the music they made on this album. Soubour and Jolie in particular. 3.5-4/5
I enjoyed this record very much. The blues meets African traditional music is a good fusion.
Didn’t know anything about the album going into it, but it really WAS blues, and very good blues at that. Fun things happening on the guitar there.
Et malisk band med en interessant bakgrunnshistorie. De synger på sitt lokale språk, med spreke blues rock-rytmer i bakgrunnen. En real overraskelse, for dette likte jeg godt. Kan dog kritiseres for å være rimelig “one-note”. Top 3: Al Hassidi Terei, Sekou Oumarou, Soubour
really enjoyed that! loved the blend of their traditional music influences and blues. Fav tracks: Soubour, Mali
No lo conocía pero me gusta!!! Los voy a seguir en Spotify