Chouf!

Now this looks promising. An Algerian rock album recorded at the Real World studios in Wiltshire with the great Justin Adams, best known in recent years for his guitar work for Robert Plant, as its artistic director. And as Adams' earlier productions have included classic recordings by the likes of Tinariwen and that inspired Algerian rocker, the late Rachid Taha, this has to be worth checking out. It doesn't disappoint, even if Sidi Bémol is no Taha. Otherwise known as Hocine Boukella, he's an intriguing man. He moved to Paris to study for a PhD, and quit to become an artist known for his cartoon work and a musician with his own record company.

Most of his songs are built around sturdy blues riffs with a North African edge. His declamatory vocals and electric guitar are backed by a band that includes Taha's mandolute player Hakim Hamadouche. It's great, as far as it goes, but could do with Taha's passion and sense of danger (though I'd love to see a translation of the lyrics). He's at his best when he moves away from blues-rock with the cheerfully soulful ‘Salam Alikoum’ or the more gentle, trance-like ‘Aziza Lalla’, which features exquisite playing from Hamadouche.