A recent trend towards electric Afropop artists making mostly acoustic recordings has led to a strong season of releases, especially from West Africa. With Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Djelimady Tounkara and Kandia Kouyaté already on the scene with acoustic releases, another heavy weighs in. Youssou N'Dour has often used acoustic elements in his songs, so this is not a complete departure. But his incorporation of traditional instruments like kora, balafon, xalam, and the riti one-string violin, makes for a whole new sound scape, and for N'Dour's most interesting international release in many years.

As with Keita, it is important to understand that N'Dour may turning to traditional instruments to fashion his new sound, but he is not playing traditional music. These are Youssou N'Dour pop songs, every bit as much as his most high-production electric work, and that's a big part of the charm. "Tan Bi (Heat, Breeze, Tenderness)" kicks things off using a creaky riti fiddle line as a pop hook. The song has the uplift and subtle build of a classic Youssou radio hit, and a melody sure to stay with you. One of the reasons that N'Dour has built such a strong worldwide reputation is the fact that he writes hook melodies up there with the world's best pop composers. Another reason is his astoundingly versatile voice. On "Tan Bi," as N'Dour sails into his glorious high register over a bed of string plucks and balafon plinks, it's clear that we're in for something special. N'Dour favors the deep, clear side of his low register a lot on this album, as on "Moor Ndaje (Mr. Everywhere)," wherein he proclaims it is impossible to know everything, and "Genné (For Those Displaced)," a moody, minor-key meditation on the plight of refugees, graced by a wooden, Senegalese flute. A lot of these songs are in minor keys, although the effect is more often sentimental than brooding.

One important difference between this album and Keita's new Moffou (Universal) is that where Keita put together an almost entirely new band, N'Dour keeps most of his usual players on board, preserving distinct characteristics of the Super Etoile chemistry. Though they may be gentle and acoustic to start, many of these tracks crank into the sort of rollicking dance grooves Super Etoile fans have come to expect. "Mbëggéél Noonu La (Because Love's Like That)" is classic mbalax with a sweet vocal urging listeners not to be defeated by a broken heart, and Jimmy Mbaye's signature guitar rendition of the percussive xalam lute. "Doole (Show Your True Mettle)" and "Sagal Ko (Honor Her)" also weave dense rhythmic grooves from their acoustic elements. The later is one of two songs that put forward a strong argument on behalf of women. On "La Femme Est L'Avenir de L'Amour (Women Are the Future of Love)," N'Dour contrasts his cool, unhurried voice with the band's rhythmically charged chatter; he lists the work women do, and then asks: "Don't you think that deserves a little respect, a little gratitude?"

N'Dour sings in English on two tracks, "So Many Men," a moody ballad sung with Pascal Obispo, and the hopeful, anthem-like closer, "Africa, Dream Again." While these are not the best pieces here, they work in the context of this well-crafted, Youssou-lite set, and N'Dour's easy glide between Wolof, French and English does have the desired effect of making everyone feel included in his warm embrace.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org