When world music artists collaborate with Western acts, our inner Rousseau, with his patronising vision of the noble savage pumping out some exotic groove from an ancient wellspring of innate good taste, is usually severely compromised.
It turns out all your favourite developing world star really wanted to do was duet with some embarrassing rock aristocrat like Sting, rather than genuflect at the altar of consensus approved cool things. Tinariwen, the Tuareg nomads, and former tooled-up freedom fighters, currently pushing another helping of their streamlined Saharan blues, remain unsullied.
They’re the world music band you can take to the Uncut awards without worrying they’re going to get off with Chris Rea.
The opener here, Imidiwan Ma Tenam, features the American free improviser and Wilco collaborator Nels Cline on extra texture, Tenere Taqhim Tossam deploys members of Brooklyn’s post-rockers TV On The Radio, and this Christmas the band play at the Minehead Butlin’s hipsters’ love-in All Tomorrow’s Parties.
Their fifth album finds them out of the studio, recording alfresco under the stars, and sounds again like every great white, twin guitar band you ever loved – from Television to Thin White Rope – gone native at the source of the blues, and fronted by sun-blinded snake-charmers, clicking their fingers and swaying to an irresistible gravitational swell.
Few of this music’s inheritors channel the spirits so powerfully. And those still weeping for John Lee Hooker, or his Malian opposite number Ali Farka Toure, need look no further than Tamiditin Tan Ufrawan or Tiliaden Osamnat for a taste of the cyclical hypno-blues they believed forgotten for ever.
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com