SMOD

Turn ‘Les Dirigeants Africains’ up loud. Do those bouncy Malian rhythms sound familiar? The growling vocals, sweet-but-biting lyrics and the noodling guitar grooves? The found sounds and samples that could only be the handiwork of a certain Franco-Spanish icon? No, it's not a new album by Amadou & Mariam, the Malian megastars whose album Dimanche a Bamako blasted them into the Western mainstream back in 2005, with sonic flourishes courtesy of Manu Chao. Instead, it is an album by one of their children, the 20-something Samou Bagayoko. Just as it is clearly one produced by Mr Chao. SMOD is comprised of Sam and his hip-hop-loving friends Ousco and Donsky. (Having lent his initial to the acronym, founder member Mouzy left to do his own thing.) Driven by a hankering for social justice and a respect for the traditional music of West Africa, they have amassed an army of local fans with their two previous albums and compelling live turns at culture houses, football stadiums and the like. But just as Chao's Midas touch sent Amadou & Mariam stratospheric, this album may well make SMOD big international players.

Just how they would fare without the sonic trickery is, for now, of no concern. Quirky and compelling, urban and ancient, SMOD ticks all the right boxes as it explores the links between the oral chronicling of griot and rapper. ‘J'ai Pas Peur du Micro’ takes the listener ranging through Bamako's back streets. The single ‘Ça Chanté’ is irresistible: a melodic slice of quirky Afro-pop that gets toes tapping from the off.