London Ko

Fatoumata Diawara has always been the fresh voice of Malian music, pushing the boundaries of what a contemporary African music could sound like while still respecting its roots. For her latest album, co-produced between her, Daniel Florestano and Damon Albarn, she offers another sonic Afrofuturist journey.

With several producers on board and a wealth of guest musicians including Ghanaian rapper M.anifest, Nigeria's Yemi Alade, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and singer Angie Stone, it may not be surprising that the album feels varied across its 14 tracks. One might say verging on schizophrenic. We move from the cool synth grooves of ‘Nsera’ to the kumbaya-feel of ‘Sete’, the trippy electronic grooves of ‘Massa Den’ and the reggae beat of ‘Dambe’. One might argue that she's offering a sonic representation of Africa's multiplicity, that this is the diverse sound of Afrofuturism. But I can't help but feel like this is a case of one too many cooks in the kitchen; the overall vision feels a bit out of focus.

That's not to say there aren't some excellent tracks here. The grooves on ‘Blues’ featuring Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca are killer. The closer, ‘Maya’, is a stunning slow number, almost gospel at its heart. And, of course, Fatou's earthy voice is singular throughout. If this is Fatou's prophetic vision of Africa, the future is bright but perhaps not yet in focus.