Description
Amassakoul is instantly undeniable. Explicitly calling attention to the band members’ pasts in Tuareg rebel groups, the album boasts political tracks such as “Amassakoul ‘n’ Ténéré,” “Chatma,” and “Chet Boghassa,” the latter a tribute to the women of a Tuareg village in Mali taken over by the government. It’s sufficiently personal, with lyrics that were deliberately left untranslated from the band’s native Tamashek tongue.
Amassakoul feels like a full delivery on the intriguing introduction that the previous record (The Radio Tisdas Sessions) provided to many. These reissues mark a belated chance to get acquainted with this thoroughly fascinating band, and their music that is admittedly so singular that its depths only truly start to become apparent after several spins. Both albums are vital re-releases, and Amassakoul could even be said to be very close to a masterpiece. The more you pay attention to this hypnotic music, the more it starts to seem like this really may be one of the great rock bands of the modern era.
