Anouar Brahem
The Astounding Eyes of Rita

★★★½

A very sensual and enticing release from Brahem, the master oud player. The cover alone imparts some feelings of the relationship between old and young, modernity and antiquity. But this whole album, while having that "ECM Sound", is able to distinguish itself from the rest of the crowd in its uniqueness and passion.  

Brahem mostly provides the background on this album, allowing the other players to come forth and shine under his cloudy cover. It's not a totally Arabic sounding album either; the addition of clarinet and bass adds so much to this that it would be hard to imagine a better album with traditional instruments. The whole album shifts from this high energy, emphatic style to a more airy and spacious playing that allows you to fully absorb the remainder of their talents. 

I would've liked to have seen more experimentation throughout, especially with textures or more improvisation. There are certain points during which the album seems to be going nowhere or even repeating itself, in a state of stagnation or purgatory. 

I think I'd like to revisit this album or listen to more of Anouar Brahem's projects as he seems to be quite a visionary. The ensemble itself helps further push the idea of modernity into what would otherwise be an ancient or classical Arabic sound, a concept which should be further explored. 

Favorite Song: The Astounding Eyes of Rita

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