TINARIWEN
Ammasakoul

If Led Zeppelin were politically active tribal nomads from the Sahara, this is the album they would make. Combining electric and acoustic instruments with world, folk, and rock rhythms and lyrics sung in their native tongue, the "blue men" of Mali have crafted a must-listen masterpiece that transcends the world beat genre. Mystical, sublime, and totally engaging, Ammasakoul demands to be placed alongside any conventional guitar-based pop album, or for that matter, any album from any genre released this year. (World Village) -- Eric Arnold