Vieux Farka Touré Et Khruangbin Ali

The music of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré was often exported under the banner of “African blues”—a term Touré, who died in 2006, disliked in part because he said his traditions were considerably older. A collaborative tribute from his son Vieux (a well-regarded musician in his own right) and the globally sourced psychedelic band Khruangbin, Ali doesn’t try to modernise Touré’s music but also isn’t afraid to put it in conversation with other sounds, from funk (“Tongo Barra”) and ’70s soul (“Alakarra”) to Indian-inspired drone (“Ali Hala Abada”). And as those familiar with Khruangbin’s stuff more generally might understand, it satisfies the magical auditory illusion of being both great background music and music intricate and textured enough to stand up to a closer listen.