Refuge

Through the medium of slick folk fusion, Refuge delivers a message of tolerance towards immigrants and refugees. The Canadian-based Sultans certainly have an open door policy to guests, welcoming over 25 artists across 13 tracks. The more-is-more mindset is carried through to the madcap orchestrations and genre hopping jams. Instrumental ‘El Bint el Shalabeya’ bursts forth with a Balkan beat that sweeps up a Bollywood-style string section, before breaking into a surf guitar solo. It might not be subtle but it is undeniably celebratory.

The audacity of the fusion is aided by the precision of the arrangements as well as the clarity of the record's production. Both qualities are exemplified on ‘I'm Free’, which riffs on a joyful motif from the Turtle Island String Quartet before violinist Chris McKhool develops a hornpipe into a full-on hoedown. Lead single ‘I am a Refugee’ sets Somali poet Ifrah Mansour's raw poem about the refugee experience to a suitably serious yet uplifting groove. The sentiment is worthy but Refuge's message comes through clearest when the music is left to speak for itself.