"Oum el Ghaït Benessahraoui, better known as Oum, is an intriguing singer-songwriter from Casablanca. This is her third European release (...), and it's a cool, sophisticated fusion set in which her Saharan and Arabic roots are matched against anything from jazz to electronic trance styles ... The opening 'Fasl' sets the mood, with Oum's laid-back, gently soulful, acrobatic and jazz-edged vocals matched against a wash of electronic and throbbing electric bass before trumpet and sax move in. Elsewhere, there are oud solos, a bluesy edge to the gently hypnotic 'Rhyam', and a change of pace with the more upbeat 'Ha' ... Oum sings in Darija, the everyday dialect of Moroccan Arabic, but translations are thankfully provided for songs that deal with anything from the healing power of nature to the plight of the dispossessed ('Laji': "The refugee comes as God's guest, but nobody cares"). This is worth checking out".