Houdoud

Houdoud, meaning ‘Frontier’, is the second album from the Paris-based ensemble Bab El West, and the theme of exploring borders is as present in the music as it is in the title. Predominantly formed of musicians from Morocco and the Franco-Celtic region of Brittany, the band approach the musical meeting point between cultures from both directions. Drawing largely from the chaabi and Gnawa traditions of North Africa, frontman Habib Farroukh marries his Maghrebi melodies with a myriad of styles on this record, including folk, soul and pop. Joining their already eclectic instrumental line-up, which blends blues-rock guitar with the strings of the qanun and Breton woodwind, the Irish mandolin and bodhrán are added to great effect.

Inspired by their time on the road, the album certainly evokes the sensation of exploring uncharted territory. The opening track ‘Al Khil’ captures you with a surging rhythm that you can't quite pin down and a truly beautiful refrain punctuated by folk passages and distorted guitars. Houdoud's most striking achievement is its fusion of Celtic and North African soundscapes, and the standout tracks ingeniously join these contrasting worlds at a crossroads that allows us to hear both their distinctions and their parallels.