And deadly floods have devastated Europe and China. In the months since The Weather Station released Ignorance in early February, fires have ravaged the United States, as regions faced unfathomable, record breaking heat. Desert blues? Electric assouf? Saharan shredding? Call it whatever you want, turn it up.
But don’t waste too much time trying to make sense of the dazzling blend. Psych-stylings meet hypnotic, call-and-response Tamasheq chantings jazzy improvisations meet searing soul. It also, most importantly, flat out cooks. The nine-song set is an incandescent rock n’ roll call to arms-an argument of opposition for the lasting effects of colonialism in his home region and a lament for ongoing political instability and violence. And while his 2019 LP, Ilana (The Creator), is what catapulted him onto the global stage, it’s his 2021 outing that he’ll be remembered for. Solos seem to erupt rather than arrive with any preconceived intention, the band behind him left racing to catch up in tempo. Arrangements are exploratory and joyous-wild. Left-handed and self-taught, he isn’t contained by convention. But the Niger native’s playing is an art entirely his own. The Hendrix of the Sahara! The Van Halen of the Desert! You’ll find plenty of mighty comparisons in writing about 35-year-old Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar, for reasons obvious at first listen.
(And if you need more tunes to crank, these are the best songs of 2021.) Below, these are the best albums of 2021. The charts feel exciting again, LPs feel fully-formed, and as tours finally launch-with safety precautions in place-there's never been a better time to escape into your headphones. (You'll see what I mean.) Wanda Jackson came back to take a bow. Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner found joy and Yola found, well, us all. Tyler, the Creator entered the hip-hop upper echelon, while Mach-Hommy offered a dissertation in both rap and socio-economics Kings of Leon found a once-familiar groove and Leon Bridges found his sexy side. It's almost as if the gods artists knew we'd need a little extra salve in 2021 as many have churned out some of their best work in years. And what better boon to your existence than pure, holy, sound-music. My friends, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.
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