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10.0
2069
10.0 |
Mojo
Print edition only
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9.0
2065
9.0 |
musicOMH
Paints vivid pictures of the country and continent in which they live, and it doesn't take much imagination to picture the shimmering sand of the Sahara, whether in a song like Tenhert or in the vivid, unnamed track that closes the album. Taken on its own merits, this is life-enriching stuff
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8.2
7324
8.2 |
The Line Of Best Fit
If you haven’t come across Tinariwen before, this is a good a place to start as any. And you should start, really
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8.0
7338
8.0 |
State
Imidiwan is a pleasure, it’s full of honesty and purity, but most importantly superb music, and it will in no doubt increase Tinariwen’s following and our love affair with this unique band
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8.0
7365
8.0 |
Eye Weekly
Another stellar album from the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band
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8.0
2066
8.0 |
Daily Telegraph
Subtly shifting layers of guitar and clapping creating a rhythmic base that sounds as though it emanates from the rock and sand of the Sahara itself
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8.0
2067
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Despite the fact that the band hasn't yet put a foot wrong, this – their fourth album – is still the group's most compelling since their debut
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8.0
2068
8.0 |
The Sunday Times
The snaky guitar interplay, the dubby desert rhythm, the unfathomable time signatures (I’d swear Enseqi Ehad Didagh has four and a quarter beats per bar), the unison singing that somehow makes you feel like an honoured guest in the song — all these are present, correct and as fiendishly addictive as ever
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8.0
2070
8.0 |
Q
Print edition only
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8.0
2071
8.0 |
Clash
This is a body of work that is rich in texture, intelligence and passion, layered with varying emotions and facets. On that basis, its one of the highlights of 2009 thus far
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8.0
2072
8.0 |
Evening Standard
Bravely sticking to what they do best: bluesy vocals, powerful guitar work and laid-back rhythmic grooves have, after all, brought them mainstream popularity
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8.0
2073
8.0 |
The Observer
The fundamentals are unchanged - the rolling grooves, intricate guitar exchanges, call-and-response vocals - while there's a greater emphasis on the poetic, meditative qualities of desert life
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8.0
2074
8.0 |
Uncut
Oddly, the more raw and lo-fi you record Tinariwen, the more the cross-cultural connections start to jump out. “Tenhert (The Doe)” is based around a killer blues riff that recalls Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning”, all the time accompanied by half-spoken, arrhythmic rapping. “Kel Tamashek (The Tamashek People)”, based around a discordant acoustic guitar drone, starts off like an Incredible String Band miniature before a thumping bass drum figure recalls Animal Collective
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8.0
2075
8.0 |
PopMatters
Tinariwen, regardless of their history, are simply a kick-ass band. To dwell on any other fact would be a disservice.
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7.6
2076
7.6 |
Pitchfork
There is a unique magic to the sounds of the Sahara. Imidiwan captures that magic with skillful grace.
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7.0
7473
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
The electric guitars flash like lightning, the looping melodies and Tamashek raps hypnotize
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