"A remarkable set of music that mixes Western and African, ancient and modern with a sensitivity often missing in pan-continental collaborations. Adama Koite's intricate guitar and vocals, for example, are underpinned perfectly by Two Inch Punch's languid bass electronics on Fantainfalla Toyi Bolo, while Kankou Kouyaté (niece of ngoni maestro Bassekou) provides a simple, elegant and highly effective version of Salif Kaita's Yamore, produced by Albarn. Pertinently, the album's lead single, Soubour, is by Timbuktu residents Songhoy Blues, a band formed in reaction to the recent jihadist ban on music. Teaming up with Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner for an inspired and rollicking piece of desert rock, it's both a powerful riposte to would-be oppressors and a sign that Mali's musical future looks bright".