Mdou Moctar: Funeral for Justice review – desert bluesman on incendiary form

At a time when so many UK and US artists are shruggingly apolitical, the palpable anger blazing throughout Nigerien psych-rock guitarist Mdou Moctar’s second album on Matador, and seventh overall, feels like a powerful corrective. Following up on some of the issues raised on 2021’s hugely impressive Afrique Victime, Funeral for Justice doesn’t pull any punches, whether tackling the disastrous legacy of French colonialism (Oh France) and the failures of African leaders to build up their countries (the title track), or the way that Moctar’s native Tamasheq language is at risk of dying out as it loses out to French among younger people (the impassioned Imouhar).

As ever, Moctar’s instrumentation is as incendiary as his words. His virtuoso guitar work – all fast-evolving riffs and thrillingly fluid soloing – is the focal point throughout, lifting the likes of Tchinta and Sousoume Tamacheq to a higher plane. His US-Nigerien band are just as important, however, building on the propulsive Tuareg desert blues, or assouf, popularised internationally by Tinariwen two decades ago, and creating an unstoppable momentum behind him. Dazzling.