Alkibar Gignor – “La Paix” – [Sahelsounds]

Alkibar Gignor (pronounced JIN-YOR) are a soulful group out of Mali, playing what the liner notes call garage rock, but what I would pin as something closer to folk, which isn’t to say that this doesn’t rock. This is a co-released record put out by Mississippi and Sahelsounds, recorded on location in Mali 2011. A local favorite, these guys load up their donkey carts with instruments, amplifiers and a generator and tour the nearby farming villages, working their instruments beneath the stars. The music here has an easy going, funky jam sort of feel. Its pretty simple, that is to say not very busy, with a slight muddy charm in recording quality which fuzzes out every once in a while when things get loud. Really great interplay and conversational instrumentation here. And this music truly is full of soul, you can almost see these guys jamming out when you spin the record. A5 and B2 are lovely, solo guitar instrumentals. B4 is a funky instro-jam. Drop the needle anywhere and kick back. -Surfer Rosa