Imagine an African artist with the tenderly subversive touch of Bon Iver, the haunting falsetto of Skip James, the razorlike mind of Akala, and the inventiveness of Moses Sumney. You've just imagined Blick Bassy. Following his acclaimed album ? Ak? ?, Bassy delivers ? 1958 ?, a tribute to the heroes who fought for the independence of his native Cameroun. Its focus is specific, but its themes - the need for heroes, the relevance of history and the search for true identity - are universal. And the music works like a balm of seductive tenderness and sorrow. With its back-to-the-future blend of voices and assorted guitars, cello, trumpet, keyboards and trombone, ? 1958 ? keeps faith with Bassy's unique style in contemporary African music, fed by his love for the aerial soul of singers like Skip James or Marvin Gaye as much as for the traditional music of Africa. An album to thaw the heart and sharpen the mind.
