Alsahraa

On her first album, View from Somewhere, the London-based Sudanese-Italian singer Amira Kheir explored the various musical traditions of Sudan. For her follow-up she has settled more into her own style, looking less to tradition and more to jazz. Alsahraa, meaning ‘the Desert’ in Arabic, is appropriately sparse - melodies drift quietly through the album like a soft desert wind. While effective in its attempt to create a sense of wide-open space, Kheir’s voice and the delicate accompaniment create a sound too polite. What in her first album sounded fearless now feels restrained. There are a few numbers that liven up the atmosphere. ‘Ya Mara’ (Woman), the album’s highlight, showcases the same confident voice we heard on her debut in a perfect mix of Sudanese vocals and jazz. ‘Kasr Almiraya’ (The Shattering Mirror) tries to get a limping groove into the mix, but airs uncomfortably for this reviewer on the side of smooth jazz.

The majority of tracks on the album are original, though a few traditional arrangements have been thrown in, and you get the sense that Kheir has a powerful way with words. A shame, then, that the translations in the booklet are written so small as to be more or less illegible.