"Listening to Kel Tinariwen 30 years after its release feels a little surreal. At first, it seems diametrically opposed to the Tinariwen that has made such an impact on many of today's global music scenes. The outward textures here are not raw rock but processed pop, more maximalist than anything the band has put forth since. Still, the bones are the same; this is as sincere a face of the group as on any of their international commercial releases, no matter how surprising its sounds. Tinariwen, it turns out, fares well in a number of different aesthetic frameworks, and Kel Tinariwen serves as a testament to their artistic strength".