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CD Review
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All About Jazz, CD Review >>
You have to wonder why some Algerians subjected Souad Massi to spitting and death threats (among other forms of hate) given the spirit of embrace, reflection and openness that permeates her music, but sometimes it's better just to pack up and move on. After six years in Paris, Massi is back on record with her third release, Mesk Elil (Honeysuckle), a continuation of the exuberant musical style and personal, melancholic lyrical bent that has characterized her work all along.
It's a bit unfair to hold Massi to the standards of her past work, but to speak honestly, Mesk Elil is not quite as good as Massi's last album, Deb (Heart Broken). It all boils down to the two reasons why her music is most compelling: one, Massi's voice and lyrics are soulful and moving; and two, she places them in a globally conscious, shifty amalgam of African and European styles. A recording that emphasizes her vocal presence and distills the influences (like Deb) is going to be better than one where they're cloaked in heavy production and bent into the groove.
That said, it's really hard not to succumb to the romance and emotional warmth of this record. Massi's voice is commandingly soulful but understated, and when she sings, she speaks with frank honesty. It's easy to get caught up in the catchy, bouncy grooves and miss out on the words, but you'd be foolish not to check the lyrics (in English in the liner notes) and think a few minutes about the poetry that Massi twists into honey.
Stylistically, these ten songs (plus a bonus remix) span a pretty immense landscape. They tend to be minor key and melancholic, but they draw from sounds characteristic of West Africa (check out Daby Touré's singing on “I Won't Forget My Roots” or the Cape Verdean morna on “Soon”), North Africa (an Arabic lilt and Algerian rhythms persist throughout), and Spain (flamenco accents, with up to four guitars playing at once).
Other than the out of place remix at the end of the album (four to the floor beats just flatten this music) and the limp part-English song “Tell Me Why,” Mesk Elil is a wonderfully comprehensive and honest statement of identity from a creative artist who has only just begun to flower. 02/07/06 >> go there
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