Mdou Moctar – ‘Funeral for Justice’ album review: Every feeling felt
THE SKINNY: When people make an album, they do so with a feeling in mind. They are making one with a central theme: joy, sadness, despair, tranquillity, love, loss… something. The point is that the thing that separates an album from a greatest hits record is a common thread that binds the songs together. Mdou Moctar, on their new album Funeral for Justice, also manage to achieve this sensation; however, in doing so, they touch upon near-enough every emotion under the sun.
The album has rebellion and political unrest at its heart as the songs revolve around the mistreatment of Niger and the constant plight of the Tuareg people. Due to a language barrier, it is hard to connect with the lyrics in this record properly, but the pain, anger, community, and sorrow conveyed within them is unmistakable. As hard rock, classic rock, rhythmic chanting, the blues and ballads come together to create something that feels like it’s been born from the fires of passion. This album is unrelenting from the start, a true triumph, and something hard to turn off once it’s gotten started.
One thing that needs to be said about this record is that if you’re in it, then you are in it. This isn’t background music; this isn’t something to just put on haphazardly; this is a start-to-finish record, one filled with complicated instrumental lines that you will lose grasp of at times, tonal changes that are hard to keep track of and absolute beauty. This demands your undivided attention, which complements the construction of the record but is also something that overwhelms the listener on occasion.
Overall, though, Mdou Moctar has achieved something extraordinary with Funeral for Justice. This album shows the struggles of political unrest while highlighting the anger that comes with such treatment, alongside the community that can be born through solidarity of pain. Every emotion (and nearly every genre) is on display, and the result is as irresistible as it is moving.
For fans of: Music that moves, literally and figuratively, you’ll dance the night away with tears in your eyes.
A concluding comment from an imagined Bono: “Of all the things I’ve called ‘sacred’, I’ve finally found something actually fitting for my hyperbole.”
Mdou Moctar – Funeral for Justice track by track
‘Funeral for Justice’: The opening track is explosive from the word go. With fast-paced guitar riffs and off-kilter rhythm, this song immediately gets you moving. With a rhythmic lyricism that replicates a style of chanting at times, this record is a culmination of everything that makes Mdou Moctar stand out. [4/5]
‘Imouhar’: Taking a breather, this track opens up with a bluesy guitar riff and calmer vocals. There is a great deal going on in the intro to this track, but compared to the haze of the opener, it feels incredibly calm. Halfway into ‘Imouhar’, we are plunged back into hard rock familiarity, that perfect blend of styles and sounds present once again in an infectious track. [4.5/5]
‘Takoba’: A beautiful and peaceful introduction, quite psychedelic in its inception. It gets you moving from side to side, eyes only slightly open as this pleasant feeling takes hold. It’s a nice breather from the adrenaline-infused hard rock that flaunts the band’s versatility. [4/5]
‘Sousoume Tamacheq’: It sounds like a branch of math rock. The way strings are plucked is so precise and well-timed, while the vocals mimic them so efficiently that it is hard to call this song anything other than intricate. Yet, despite the precision, it is still very free-flowing, a tough balance to strike but something Mdou Moctar achieved. [4/5]
‘Imajighen’: There are no such things as barriers when it comes to music. The way that Mdou Moctar breaks down the walls between genre and culture is so effortless but monumentally beautiful. This hard rock album also comes with tracks like ‘Imajighen’, a song which is more of a chant and sometimes sounds prayer-like in its conception. This is an excellent album. [4/5]
‘Tchinta’: The vocal power of this song can bring a tear to your eye, and the way that elongated notes are accompanied by persistent cymbals and improvised guitar solos invokes feelings of ‘70s rock and psychedelia. It’s a sound that is oddly nostalgic but unmistakably current. [5/5]
‘Oh France’: A revolutionary song that pokes holes in the way France has treated the country of Niger in the past. A language being lost is mourned in the song, which, paradoxically, is incredibly upbeat and fun to listen to. The punk elements of the band remain on the surface, as the upbeat instrumentation is unmatched. The energy in this number is probably the highest it has been on the whole album, and the song, as a result, is a thing of beauty. [5/5]
‘Modern Slaves’: The final track also leans into the psychedelic side of this album. It is almost hippy-like in its timing, reminiscent of old T-Rex albums. It’s very tranquil all the way through and a gorgeous way to end what is undoubtedly a rollercoaster of an album. [4/5]
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