Vieux Farka Toure

He opens with a call to brotherhood, but when Vieux Farka Toure asks his father's forgiveness on "Ai Haira," a magic kicks in which lasts for the rest of the album. The beauty of Toure's music lies in its exposition, in the dialogues that emerge between guitar and percussion. His voice is nearly an afterthought, floating above instruments that dig, and dig deep: Again and again, Toure locks into roiling grooves that conceal enormous complexity in their undulations. Even without translations, this is an engrossing sophomore release from a man who is Ali Farka Toure's heir not just in name but in spirit.