Albums to watch

Azel

Bombino

Azel

Third official international release of desert blues from Tuareg guitarist Omara “Bombino” Moctar working with Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth

ADM rating[?]

7.3

Label
Partisan
UK Release date
01/04/2016
US Release date
01/04/2016
  1. 8.0 |   The Music

    While Azel (meaning "root" or "stem" in Bombino's native Tamasheq) does top-end the faster electric tracks, it isn't as loud as its predecessor
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  2. 8.0 |   Spin

    The blues are universal; the blues are also incredibly specific
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  3. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Far less beholden to rigorous structures than Tinariwen, he is more likely to find a groove and jam the hell out of it. Print edition only

  4. 8.0 |   Q

    It's complicated music but with enough of a melodic charm to hook you in. Print edition only

  5. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    While Bombino and his fellow Tuareg's music is now well settled in the same market, the rebellion which fuels their music is very real, and as such, Azel is a breath of fresh air
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  6. 8.0 |   Uncut

    It can take a little while for albums by Bombino, or peers like Tinariwen or Tamikrest, to work their magic. The hooks are there, though, waiting for the moment of enchantment to sink into the skin
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  7. 7.8 |   Pitchfork

    Features a sublime iteration of desert blues that’s both authentic and ambitious
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  8. 6.5 |   The 405

    Bombino's music remains as powerful and vital as the day he first picked up a guitar
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  9. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    For much of this set he sounds as if he’s on autopilot
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  10. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Though there is plenty to enjoy in Bombino’s propulsive guitar work and the slow unfolding of meditative tracks such as Igmayagh Dum, there’s also the faint sense of an opportunity missed
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Bombino: Azel

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Akhar Zaman (This Moment) £0.99
  • 2. Iwaranagh (We Must) £0.99
  • 3. Inar (If You Know The Degree Of My Love For You) £0.99
  • 4. Tamiditine Tarhanam (My Love, I Tell You) £0.99
  • 5. Timtar (Memories) £0.99
  • 6. Iyat Ninhay / Jaguar (A Great Desert I Saw) £0.99
  • 7. Igmayagh Dum (My lover) £0.99
  • 8. Ashuhada (Martyrs Of The First Rebellion) £0.99
  • 9. Timidiwa (Friendship) £0.99
  • 10. Naqqim Dagh Timshar (We Are Left In This Abandoned Place) £0.99
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