Elwan

Last updated
Elwan
Tinariwen Elwan.jpg
Studio album by
Released10 February 2017 (2017-02-10)
RecordedUnited States, France, Morocco
Genre African blues, desert blues, world
Length46:10
Label Anti/Epitaph
Tinariwen chronology
Emmaar
(2014)
Elwan
(2017)
Amadjar
(2019)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 86/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Exclaim! 8/10 [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork 8.2/10 [5]

Elwan is the seventh album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released in 2017. [6] The title means "elephants" in Tamashek and the term is used as a metaphor for militias and corporations that have trampled the fragile natural and human ecosystems of the desert. [7] The album was partially recorded in Joshua Tree National Park (as was its predecessor Emmaar ) with additional recording in Paris, France and M'hamed El Ghizlane, Morocco. [8] The album includes guest appearances by Matt Sweeney, Kurt Vile, Mark Lanegan, and Alain Johannes. [7] One reviewer called the album "devastatingly beautiful," [7] and another described the album as "musing on the values of ancestry, unity and fellowship, driven by the infectiously hypnotic cyclical guitar grooves that wind like creepers around their poetic imagery." [9] AllMusic named Elwan as one of the best albums of 2017. [10]

Contents

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tiwàyyen"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib / Eyadou Ag Leche3:45
2."Sastanàqqàm"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni3:24
3."Nizzagh Ijbal"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni3:39
4."Hayati"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib / Moulay El Wafi3:23
5."Ittus"Hassan Ag Touhami3:45
6."Ténéré Tàqqàl"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib4:25
7."Imidiwàn n-àkall-in"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib3:33
8."Talyat"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib4:14
9."Assàwt"Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni3:39
10."Arhegh ad annàgh"Ibrahim Ag Alhabib2:47
11."Nànnuflày"Eyadou Ag Leche / Mark Lanegan5:03
12."Fog Edaghàn (Intro Flute)"Tinariwen1:26
13."Fog Edaghàn"Tinariwen3:07

Note: Tracks 12–13 are bonus tracks in some editions of the album.

Personnel

All information from album liner notes. [11]

Charts

ChartPeak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [12] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [13] 68
French Albums (SNEP) [14] 87
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [15] 104
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [16] 10
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [17] 36

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinariwen</span> Collective of Tuareg musicians from the western Sahara Desert

Tinariwen is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's guitar-driven style combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music. They have released eight albums since their formation and have toured internationally.

<i>Lullabies to Paralyze</i> 2005 studio album by Queens of the Stone Age

Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 22, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007 according to Nielsen Soundscan. The album has been certified gold in the UK, where it has sold over 100,000 units. It is also the band's first album to be released after bassist Nick Oliveri was fired from the band. Singer/guitarist Josh Homme and singer Mark Lanegan are the only members from the previous album, Songs for the Deaf, to play on this album and it is the first album to feature drummer Joey Castillo and guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen.

<i>Aman Iman</i> 2007 studio album by Tinariwen

Aman Iman is a 2007 album by the Malian band Tinariwen, produced by Justin Adams. The album was recorded in just two weeks in Bamako, Mali. AllMusic praised the album as "a glorious syncopated noise that puts most rockers to shame. But there's a wonderful looseness to the sound." Pitchfork called the album "the most powerful statement they've issued so far" and in the words of the BBC, "Aman Iman successfully balances the upbeat with the plaintive, and density of sound with sparseness."

<i>Imidiwan: Companions</i> 2009 studio album by Tinariwen

Imidiwan: Companions, released 29 June 2009, is the fourth studio album by Tuareg band Tinariwen. The album saw the band reunite with Jean-Paul Romann, the producer of their 2001 album The Radio Tisdas Sessions. Some editions of the album include a DVD featuring a 30-minute documentary about the band.

<i>A Reality Tour</i> (album) 2010 live album by David Bowie

A Reality Tour is a live album by David Bowie that was released on 25 January 2010. The album features 22 and 23 November 2003 performances in Dublin during his concert tour A Reality Tour. This is an audio version of the concert video of the same name, except that it adds three bonus tracks. The digital download on iTunes adds two more bonus tracks.

<i>Tassili</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Tinariwen

Tassili is the fifth album by the Tuareg-Berber band Tinariwen, recorded in Tassili n'Ajjer, an Algerian national park in 2011. The album marked a major departure from previous recordings. The producer, Ian Brennan, stated that it "was the least overdubbed, most live, band-centric and song-oriented record they have done.”

<i>Hyde Park Live</i> 2013 live album and concert film by The Rolling Stones

Hyde Park Live is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2013. It was recorded at Hyde Park, London on 6 and 13 July 2013 during the band's 50 and Counting Tour. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through iTunes on 22 July 2013 for a limited time of four weeks. The album debuted at #16 in the UK and #19 in the US. The same concert was later issued on DVD as Sweet Summer Sun: Live in Hyde Park.

<i>Emmaar</i> 2014 studio album by Tinariwen

Emmaar is the sixth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released in 2014. Emmaar is a Tuareg word meaning "the heat on the breeze". It is their first full album not to be recorded in northern Africa.

<i>Phantom Radio</i> 2014 studio album by Mark Lanegan Band

Phantom Radio is the ninth studio album by alternative rock artist Mark Lanegan, performing as the "Mark Lanegan Band". It was released on October 21, 2014, on Vagrant Records. In an interview with The Quietus, Lanegan stated that he used a phone app called FunkBox to write the drum parts on some of the songs.

<i>Blieve Im Goin Down...</i> 2015 studio album by Kurt Vile

b'lieve i'm goin down... is the sixth studio album by American indie rock musician Kurt Vile, released on September 25, 2015 on Matador Records. A deluxe edition, b'lieve i'm goin (deep) down..., featuring six additional tracks, was released on the same day.

<i>The Glowing Man</i> 2016 studio album by Swans

The Glowing Man is the fourteenth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on June 17, 2016 on Young God and Mute. It is considered the third and final part of a three-album "trilogy", the other two parts being The Seer and To Be Kind.

<i>Gargoyle</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Mark Lanegan Band

Gargoyle is the tenth studio album by American singer Mark Lanegan. It was released in April 2017 on Heavenly Recordings. It was produced by Lanegan's long-time collaborator Alain Johannes. Roughly half of the music on the record was written by UK-based Rob Marshall through e-mail exchanges with Lanegan, who would write lyrics subsequently.

<i>A Deeper Understanding</i> 2017 studio album by the War on Drugs

A Deeper Understanding is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band The War on Drugs. It was released on August 25, 2017, through Atlantic Records. The album was mixed by engineer Shawn Everett. The album won Best Rock Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Give More Love</i> 2017 studio album by Ringo Starr

Give More Love is the 19th studio album by English musician Ringo Starr. It was recorded primarily in Starr's home studio in Los Angeles and was released on 15 September 2017 by UMe. The album features Starr's frequent collaborators such as Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Gary Nicholson and Bob Malone, members of his All-Starr Band, and guest appearances by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney.

<i>Lotta Sea Lice</i> 2017 studio album by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

Lotta Sea Lice is a collaborative studio album between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, released on October 13, 2017, on Matador, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records. The album has received positive critical reviews.

<i>44/876</i> 2018 studio album by Sting and Shaggy

44/876 is a collaborative album by English musician Sting and Jamaican musician Shaggy. It was released on 20 April 2018 by A&M Records, Interscope Records and Cherrytree Records.

<i>Bottle It In</i> 2018 studio album by Kurt Vile

Bottle It In is the eighth studio album by American musician Kurt Vile, released on October 12, 2018 through Matador Records. It features contributions from Kim Gordon, Cass McCombs, Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, and Mary Lattimore.

<i>Amadjar</i> 2019 studio album by Tinariwen

Amadjar is the eighth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released on September 6, 2019. The album's title means "the foreign traveler" in the Tamashek language. The album features guest appearances by Noura Mint Seymali, Micah Nelson, Cass McCombs, Stephen O'Malley, Warren Ellis, and Rodolphe Burger. The album reached number 74 on the Ultratop albums chart in Belgium.

<i>Watch My Moves</i> 2022 studio album by Kurt Vile

Watch My Moves, stylized as (watch my moves), is the ninth studio album by American indie rock musician Kurt Vile, released on April 15, 2022, on Verve Forecast Records. Co-produced by Vile and Rob Schnapf, the album's initial recording sessions began in 2019, during the tour in support of Vile's previous album, Bottle It In. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, resulted in Vile building a home recording studio, OKV Central, at which he, Schnapf and his backing band the Violators worked on the majority of the album's songs across lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

<i>Amatssou</i> 2023 studio album by Tinariwen

Amatssou is the ninth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released on May 19, 2023. The album's title means "beyond the fear" in the Tamashek language. The album features contributions from Fats Kaplin and was produced by Daniel Lanois.

References

  1. "Elwan". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. AllMusic review
  3. Mullin, Kyle. "Tinariwen Elwan". Exclaim!. Exclaim!. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  4. The Guardian review
  5. Pitchfork review
  6. "Tinariwen's New Album 'Elwan' Out Now". Anti- Records. Anti- Records. February 10, 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Fraden, Angel E. (March 7, 2017). "Tinariwen Deliver a Devastatingly Beautiful Album With 'Elwan'". okayafrica. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  8. Tsioulcas, Anastasia (February 2, 2017). "Review: Tinariwen, 'Elwan'". NPR.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. Gill, Andy (February 8, 2017). "Album reviews: Tinariwen – 'Elwan', Sampha – 'Process', Rag'n'Bone Man – 'Human', and more". The Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  10. "AllMusic Best of 2017". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  11. Tinariwen (2017). Liner notes: Elwan.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Tinariwen – Elwan" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Tinariwen – Elwan" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  14. "Lescharts.com – Tinariwen – Elwan". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tinariwen – Elwan" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  16. "Tinariwen Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  17. "Tinariwen Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2018.