Albarn, Amadou & Mariam

I bought the latest Amadou and Mariam album Welcome To Mali recently. I'm not gonna claim to be a massive fan- to be honest I got it because Damon Albarn has written and produced a few tracks.

It's an uplifting and often surprising listen though. And that's not just down to Damon- whose work I always buy. The opening track Sabali (below for ya) is the most obvious collaboration with the Gorillaz and Blur man. It's pulsing beat never quite hits the house-y heights you expect it to. Somehow that's what makes the track so enthralling.

Amadou & Mariam- Sabali

As an aside I was thinking about Albarn and Danger Mouse's excellent Demon Days the other, um, day. Along with The Streets- A Grand Don't Come... it has to be the best concept album of the last decade. Any other ideas?