Mdou Moctar

★★★★ Afrique Victime MATADOR. CD/DL/LP

Niger desert rock giants’ first for Matador hits suitably transcendent form.

If it was a Wishbone Ash album, it would be

Argus. If it was Television, it would be Marquee Moon. Aficionados of twin guitar attack from time immemorial will find something familiar and also something new to love in the latest interactions of Tuareg bandleader Moctar and his dextrous six-string helpmeet Ahmoudou Madassane. From the gentle breeze of the Tala Tannam to the howling gale of lead single Chismiten, the little clumps of ambient sound – village chatter, footsteps, maybe a cockerel – hold their ground against every new gust of virtuoso fretwork. And the amazing seven-and-ahalf-minute title track starts out as a lament and finishes as a battle hymn – it might be Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song in reverse. Either way, the solo around the fiveminute mark is a new highwater mark for the influence of Eddie Van Halen on African music.