Nigerian rocker Omara Moctar returns home to the Sahara after years of recording and touring in the West. It hasn’t changed his sound a lot— he’s come “back to roots” in a literal sense, and the lyrics (all in Tamasheq) are primarily engaged with the political realities he’s returned to, but musically it’s consistent with what he’s done before. Bombino’s one of Africa’s great guitar virtuosos, more inclined toward blues rock than assouf rock. Whether he’s working with Dan Auerbach of the Back Keys, David Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors, or with local producers and the pan-African back-up band he‘s got here, Bombino is Bombino. Highlights: Fun, passionate and warm-hearted. Highlights: “Midiwan,” “Tenesse,” “Tamasheq”
Courntey Marie Andrews, May Your Kidness Remain This young old soul sings simple songs of timeless wisdom that could have been delivered in any genre; Courtney Marie Andrews has chosen folk-country stylings with some indie pop flavorings. The Phoenix-born Andrews has a voice that rings out clear and sonorous and heartfelt, and leaves the twang to the guitars. The first two songs are sheer perfection and at least half the songs approach it; she’s at her strongest when she’s extolling the core virtues of her message — love, kindness and self-awareness. Highlight: “May Your Kindness Remain,” “Lift the Lonely from My Heart,” “This House”
Richard Thompson , 13 Rivers Richard Thompson — 13 Rivers Arguably the most consistently engaging artist of the last 50 years, Richard Thompson continues to write deep, dark folk-rock songs with an acerbic wit married to a soft, calm wisdom. This new album isn’t widely divergent from his established catalogue but miraculously Thompson, who was already a guitar hero in the 1970s, still manages to grow as a guitarist and sound fresh. Working highly intricate riffs into the undergirding of each song’s frame, he also solos on every song and as usual, his virtuosity remains connected to the music, always moving the songs forward rather than grandstanding. Plus, Thompson’s one of a kind voice only deepens in resonance over time. Highlights: “Trying,” “O Cinderella,” “Bones of Gilead”
Fantastic Negrito , Please Don’t Be Dead With the sophomore effort of the third incarnation of Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s musical career, the eccentric bluesman surges ahead on a wave of confidence bestowed by the long-sought success of his 2017 release The Last Days of Oakland. This album is one of a kind; blues is Fantastic Negrito’s homebase, but for the purposes of this album it’s simply springboard to a fantastically diverse array of sounds. From soulful paeans of resistance, to all-out rockers with theatrical guitar wigouts, to off-kilter grunge progressions, to anthemic chanting in exotic scales, Dphrepaulezz is unpredictable and impossible to pin down. Sometimes the only things tying the album together are the progressive message and the personal mojo of its artist, but that’s all it needs. Highlights: “A Letter To Fear,” “A Boy Named Andrew,” “A Cold November Street”
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