Kalba

Recorded in a church in north Ghana, this charity-driven collaboration between Ghanaian xylophonist Isaac Birituro and British producer and singer-songwriter Sonny Johns (aka The Rail Abandon), happily avoids the pitfall of so many similar projects; instead of sounding like one musical style has been haphazardly transplanted into another, Kalba successfully marries together a smorgasbord of instruments and influences to produce an album that is both unique yet familiar.

The Rail Abandon's sound, aptly coined Afrolktronica, somehow manages to reimagine the sounds of West Africa in a style reminiscent of José González. The gently buzzing guitar and softly assured vocals throughout feel right at home alongside the Ghanaian xylophone, and although its timbre is traditional, Birituro's playing has a more modern twist. Between this and Johns' longstanding love-affair with the music of West Africa (having repeatedly worked with such renowned names as Ali Farka Touré and Orchestra Baobab), both artists were obviously influenced by each other's cultures long before this collaboration took place, which is what makes it work so well. There is an ease to the music, and it's clear that this goes beyond one token project, embracing the musical diversity at play here with sincerity and depth.