Les racines

"Simply outstanding ... The direction of Les Racines (The Roots) is clear from its first few seconds. Twanging Saharan guitar, earthy ngoni, calabash and karinyan (iron scraper) keeping a grooving 6/8 time over one delicious chord - we're back in deep Songhai territory, and this is Songhai blues at its finest. There are some big-name Malian guests - Amadou Bagayoko on guitar, Cheick Tidiane Seck on organ and Madou Sidiki Diabaté on kora - but there are no frills here. It's all in service to the roots and it all gravitates around the heady riffs and solos of Vieux's guitar, spiralling into the past while roaring resolutely in the present. Vieux has embraced his role as Ali's musical heir while retaining his own voice - in doing so he's created a classic".

"So comprehensively does Ali Farka Touré define the Malian interpretation of the blues it was no surprise his son sought to avoid comparisons ... But now, having shown what he can do, the prodigal son returns to claim his heritage. Vieux lets his band do a lot of the work: the ceaseless, rolling guitar lines complemented by jagged ngoni riffs, gourd-playing percussionists holding the bottom line steady. The title translates as "the roots", a nod to his dad's classic 'The Source' and, like that album, this is pure, unpolished ur-boogie, a foundation course in rock'n'roll".