Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. Dec 9, 2013
    80
    The n’goni and Cheick Diallo’s flute indicate that Touré is going for a more pan-Malian sound; whether that matters to you or not, they give Alafia a more varied sound that its predecessor without sacrificing the propulsive, calabash-driven feel of its predecessor of its immediate predecessor Koïma.
  2. Mojo
    Dec 9, 2013
    80
    His most impressive album yet. [Dec 2013, p.86]
  3. The intricate interweaving of guitar and ngoni juxtaposed with the bright, clear backing vocals makes for a sound that’s dynamic and assertive.
  4. Dec 9, 2013
    80
    Alafia is a serious album, and its musical complexity, its rich lyric structures, dynamic textures, and complex rhythmic palette serve to reflect on the bitter fruit of conflict, yet make it Touré's most compelling musical statement to date.
  5. Dec 9, 2013
    80
    This stuff is engaging and accessible; it reminds us, lest we forget, that there is so much more going on in contemporary music than what is being performed on the main stages of Lollapalooza and Coachella.
  6. Uncut
    Dec 9, 2013
    70
    Sidi broadly draws on the same blues traditions Ali Farka Toure, but there are subtle differences here, too.[Jan 2014, p.78]

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