Songhoy Blues — Optimisme
(Qobuz new release review, October 2020)
Do not be fooled. Don’t let the crisp desert sky of the cover photo, the cheerful tenor of the title, or even the name of the band fool you. The third album from Malian group Songhoy Blues is a rollicking, high-volume, in-your-face rock record and not some delicate, café-friendly take on “world fusion.” Once again flexing their considerable guitar-bass-drums muscle, the quartet’s confrontational and direct sound has now found its most appropriate producer yet with Chavez’s Matt Sweeney whose feedback-first approach gives the album a rough grit that is especially welcome, sharpening the group’s punk edges into burly aggression. Everything is cranked on Optimisme, from the chunky rhythm section and the fiery guitars to the vocals, which vary from gruffly lyrical to infectious chanting. From the opening fusillade of “Badala” (the shouting chorus of which will remain lodged in your brainpan long after the song is over) and the twisting funk of “Barre” through the cheeky, sweet, and slightly acidic “Pour Toi” and the melancholy “Korfo,” Songhoy hits a range of moods and topics here, but the overall texture of the album is direct, unapologetic, and loud. It’s an invigorating slash of rage, joy, and, yes, optimism that is more than welcome in this day and age. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz
