Albums to watch

Emmaar

Tinariwen

Emmaar

Sixth album from Mali-based band recorded in a Joshua Tree studio and featuring fiddle player Fats Caplin and Red Hot Chilli Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Wedge / ANTI
UK Release date
10/02/2014
US Release date
11/02/2014
  1. 9.0 |   musicOMH

    It’s a truly absorbing listen, almost effortless. For a band that have been through so much turmoil, they convey so much beauty
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  2. 8.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Possibly the band’s most consistently satisfying album yet
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  3. 8.5 |   The 405

    This, as with many Tinariwen experiences live or on record, is a road trip like no other. Inspirational work, yet again
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  4. 8.1 |   Pitchfork

    Remaining true to your identity while also evolving and keeping an audience that’s always a moving target interested in you is a tough gig. On Emmaar, Tinariwen are up to the task
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  5. 8.0 |   Time Out

    Tinariwen have crafted a beautiful paean to the desert, an audio homage to dry heat
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  6. 8.0 |   Uncut

    There's very little quite like it, and it's much wilder than it first seems. Print edition only

  7. 8.0 |   NME

    Dark, trancelike and so badass that every copy should come with a six-shooter. Print edition only

  8. 8.0 |   Mojo

    The 11 tracks here are crafted to reproduce an outsider's impression of America. Print edition only

  9. 8.0 |   Q

    The location has changed, the fundamentals haven't. Print edition only

  10. 8.0 |   The Independent

    The songs have that magical union of the poetic and the rhythmic that proves endlessly irresistible
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  11. 8.0 |   The Observer

    Brooding, uncluttered songs are still slow to unfurl, with rolling rhythms taking precedence over hooks, and massed voices proving hypnotic
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  12. 8.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Full of understated beauty and a tranquility which belies its political themes and the struggles of its creators
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  13. 8.0 |   The Arts Desk

    A world music party album that aims to move your hips while making your head spin
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  14. 8.0 |   All Music

    The different textures and timbres at work on Emmaar reveal Tinariwen's evolution; one derived from the need to grow musically, as well as respond to adversity with creativity
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  15. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Maintains the band’s high standards, or even surpasses them
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  16. 8.0 |   The List

    Producer Vance Powell does a fine job, bringing a subtle reverb drift to the dynamic live performances, recalling the cosmic roots sound Daniel Lanois fashioned on Emmylou Harris' 1995 masterpiece Wrecking Ball
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  17. 8.0 |   The Quietus

    While the Tinariwen formula may be familiar, Emmaar sees their sound refined without losing any of the group's rebel edge and defiant spirit
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  18. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Even at its most dejected, the album is held together by an intoxicating sense of rhythm
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  19. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Unlike the excellent, largely acoustic 2011 set Tassili, the guitars here are mainly electrified, with generous reverb
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  20. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    The real enjoyment comes in wrapping yourself in the spacey sounds and hypnotic guitars
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  21. 5.8 |   Consequence Of Sound

    For better and worse, surprises on Emmaar are scarce if there are any
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  22. 5.0 |   State

    Emmaar will appeal to those that have already fallen under the spell of the band’s desert blues
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Tinariwen: Emmaar

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Toumast Tincha £0.99
  • 2. Chaghaybou £0.99
  • 3. Arhegh Danagh £0.99
  • 4. Timadrit In Sahara £0.99
  • 5. Imidiwan Ahi Sigdim £0.99
  • 6. Tahalamot £0.99
  • 7. Sendad Eghlalan £0.99
  • 8. Imdiwanin ahi Tifhamam £0.99
  • 9. Koud Edhaz Emin £0.99
  • 10. Emajer £0.99
  • 11. Aghregh Medin (Hassan’s song) £0.99
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