The Berlin Session

In the 1980s, Dur-Dur Band were one of Somalia's biggest groups, in high demand and performing their uniquely Somali disco in nightclubs and hotels all over the country. But the 90s brought civil war and an oppressive regime, and Dur-Dur's members scattered across the globe.

Reissues of the band's classic albums have gained acclaim, but The Berlin Sessions marks their first original release since their split. Sort of. Dur-Dur Band International aren't the Dur-Dur Band but a Dur-Dur Band, one of multiple rival formations continuing the group's legacy. This is the UK-based faction, headed by bassist (and the only original member) Cabdillahi Cujeeri. But really, that's all politics. What do they sound like? Well, not great.

The group's signature groove is still there – a mix of disco, funk, reggae, soul and Somali styles such as dhaanto and heelo – but the performances feel too loose, missing the crispness of a band playing as one. The spacious and reverb-laden production doesn't help here, instead making the separate sounds blurry and hard to distinguish. And up at the front, none of the group's three singers really give a stand-out performance either.

It's great that live Somali music is back in the studio and on the stage, but this is not the triumphant return that Dur-Dur Band deserves.