From Kidal in the far north of Mali, and now exiled in Algeria, Tamikrest are the new generation Tuareg guitar band, more contemporary and hard-hitting than their fellow-travellers but retaining the deep soulfulness of the desert blues. Chatma means "sisters" and the album is dedicated to the Tuareg women who hold the society together amid war and turbulence. Lyrically there is strife and existential pain, reflected in some evocative and affecting melancholic airs. But for the most part Chatma rocks out gloriously with ringing guitar, percussive power and rousing ululations. Itous has an insistent reggae riff, Djanegh etoumast is Tinariwen with extra rhythmic propulsion, and Takma comes close to a guitar wig-out. Crisply produced by Chris Eckman of The Walkabouts, Chatma sets a new standard for the genre. glitterbeat.com
Download: Tisnant an Chatma, Itous, Timtar