top of page
Joel Dwek & Danny Wiser
May 2, 20228 min read
USA: Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
One of the most iconic records of all time, the multi-talented Wonder manages to pack complex and poetic lyricism alongside intricate and...
0 comments
Joel Dwek & Danny Wiser
Apr 18, 20228 min read
UK: Abbey Road - The Beatles
After two years of honouring musical delights from across the globe, we don't have to search hard in our home nation to find a gem of our...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Feb 28, 20225 min read
ZAMBIA: The Return - Sampa The Great
This behemoth rap record masterfully combines a whole range of genres into hip-hop, while retaining a firm worldview Events, dear boy....
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Feb 14, 20224 min read
GEORGIA: In Vino Veritas - Mgzavrebi
This hope-infused record is not to be ignored as it uses styles of the past whilst mainting a current and modern feel On the border of...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jan 31, 20226 min read
JAMAICA: Funky Kingston - Toots and the Maytals
Taking reggae and blending it with blues, R&B, and rock'n'roll, the Jamaican icons are at their best on this resplendent album I have...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jan 17, 20224 min read
YEMEN: Akher El Akhbar - Ahmed Fathi
The master of the oud demonstrates his skill not only in his musicianship but also through his production of the record Around November...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jan 2, 20224 min read
PHILIPPINES: Diwa - Juan Karlos
Containing a variety of rock genres within, Juan Karlos' debut album shatters the child star image of its lead singer and songwriter with...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Nov 22, 20217 min read
NAMIBIA: Black Colonialists - Black Vulcanite
A whirlwind ride through many important themes, the hip-hop collective create innovative rhythms whilst always speaking truth to power...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Nov 9, 20214 min read
MOZAMBIQUE: Eparaka - Deltino Guerreiro
Mozambican traditional sounds meet the modern world in this vibrant and wonderfully ambitious debut album Usually, the albums I pick as...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Oct 25, 20218 min read
FRANCE/ARMENIA: La Bohème - Charles Aznavour
A unique record with the capacity to provoke a sense of rather deep and beautiful self-reflection about dreams, desires and direction I...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Oct 11, 20214 min read
SWITZERLAND: Aliento - Danit
Looking across the Atlantic for inspiration, the Swiss musician raputures and entrances her listeners with soft instrumentation and her...
6 comments
Danny Wiser
Sep 27, 20214 min read
LEBANON: Ibn El Leil - Mashrou' Leila
Defiance is the order of the day, as the techinically gifted Lebanese outfit produce an album that is as enjoyable as it is powerful In...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Sep 17, 20214 min read
CUBA: Beautiful - Cándido
Latin jazz with some infectious drumbeats, percussionist Cándido shows off his immense talent and flair for fusion music When I first...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Aug 30, 20215 min read
ZIMBABWE: Ammartia - Ammara Brown
Brown earns her crown as Zimbabwe's "Queen of Pop" in this magnificent debut attempt In my first forays into adulthood, I fell deeply in...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Aug 16, 20214 min read
IVORY COAST: Djekpa La You - Dobet Gnahoré
An unorthodox musical education and a fiery natural talent make for an album that mixes a wide range of African styles within a modern...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Aug 2, 20216 min read
ARGENTINA: Clics Modernos - Charly García
Finding the right adjective to sum-up an album is not always an easy task, but the word 'revolutionary' is obvious in the case of...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jul 20, 20214 min read
SUDAN: Ya Dunya - Sharhabil Ahmed
The beloved Sudanese icon gives a masterclass in musical expression with an album that combines soulful vocals and musical fusion Known...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jul 4, 20215 min read
ESWATINI: Swazi Soul - Bholoja
A beautiful and powerful first incarnation of what can be labelled as Bholoja's somewhat unique genre Nowadays when people ask me what...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jun 20, 20213 min read
GUATEMALA: Mil Palabras Con Sus Dientes - Bohemia Suburbana
Subgenres of rock galore - Bohemia Suburbana demonstrate their supreme talent It has become a cliché among myself and Danny that whenever...
1 comment
Danny Wiser
Jun 7, 20215 min read
BURKINA FASO: Victor Démé - Victor Démé
Marxist policy often suppresses creative freedom, Démé's distinguished self-titled album proves itself as the exception to this rule Over...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
May 24, 20214 min read
IRAN: Enlighten The Night - Mahsa Vahdat
Sensuous vocals and gentle jazz combine with Iranian traditional music in a beautiful confluence of sounds Many, though not all, of the...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
May 10, 20213 min read
SIERRA LEONE: Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana - S. E. Rogie
Humorous, uplifting, and endearing - this palm wine record is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing day in the sun The Beatles’ Abbey...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Apr 26, 20214 min read
MALI: Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux - Les Ambassadeurs
The swansong for one of Mali's finest musical exports, Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux demonstrate exactly why they are still a world...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Apr 12, 20214 min read
UGANDA: Exile - Geoffrey Oryema
Oryema tackles the difficult theme of being exiled from one's homeland using the emotions from his personal hardship to guide him through...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Mar 28, 20215 min read
HAITI: HaitiaNola - Lakou Mizik
Combining their fearsome talents with New Orleans-based musicians, Lakou Mizik aim to highlight cultural links to the US, while also...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Mar 15, 20214 min read
BHUTAN/FRANCE: Rain of Blessings: Vajra Chants - Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel
Serenity, spirituality and sanctity feature as strands of this phenomenal collaboration between two musical devotees When many in the...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Mar 1, 20215 min read
INDONESIA: Los Skut Leboys - Sore
Their first album after their main songwriter left the band, the remaining members of Indonesian outfit Sore seized the opportunity to...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Feb 14, 20216 min read
ITALY: Oro Incenso & Birra - Zucchero Fornaciari
Fun, raw and multi-talented; Zucchero shows off a fusion style decades ahead of his time in a country that often fails to welcome in...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Feb 1, 20214 min read
DENMARK: Det er Mig der Holder Træerne Sammen - Under Byen
This album full of interesting musical ideas and consummate musicianship certainly succeeds in creating an intellectually and emotionally...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jan 18, 20214 min read
TURKMENISTAN: Gunesh - Gunesh
State-sponsored bands often are 'middle-of-the-road'; however, this is far from the case for these experimental Turkmen extraordinaires...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jan 11, 20214 min read
CAMEROON: Get On Board - Emmanuel Pi Djob
The soul man shows off his talent as he crosses the divide of the Anglo-Francophone conflict in his native Cameroon Many musicians from...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Dec 21, 20206 min read
IRELAND: Let The People Sing - The Wolfe Tones
Perhaps the very definition of a problematic favourite, Let The People Sing poses the difficult question of whether an album can be loved...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Dec 7, 20204 min read
CHINA: Black Panther - Hei Bao
The Chinese rockers prove their worth in this blisteringly brilliant debut album, demonstrating their lightness of touch as well as their...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Nov 22, 20205 min read
GUINEA: Objectif Perfection - Balla Et Ses Balladins
A bittersweet masterpiece that celebrates liberation from colonialism Whilst on the surface, this might seem a fun album with songs that...
3 comments
Joel Dwek
Nov 9, 20207 min read
AUSTRALIA: Gurrumul - Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
A masterpiece of the highest order that evokes plenty of emotion and highlights the importance of preserving Aboriginal culture About two...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Oct 26, 20204 min read
SOUTH SUDAN: The Key - Emmanuel Jal
Jal’s repeated calls to action throughout the entire record cut through the incredibly fun and upbeat tunes All across the world there...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Oct 12, 20204 min read
CAMBODIA: Reatrei Nov Hong Kong, Vol. 58 - Sinn Sisamouth
The work of Sinn Sisamouth reveals a fascinating lost world of Cambodian music, and the tragic circumstances that surrounded its downfall...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Sep 27, 20205 min read
THE NETHERLANDS: Moontan - Golden Earring
If Golden Earring were from the UK or the US they would have reached legendary status and this album would be seen as one of the great...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Sep 14, 20203 min read
BRAZIL/USA: Sammy Davis, Jr Sings, Laurindo Almeida Plays - Sammy Davis, Jr & Laurindo Almeida
Beautiful singing and gorgeous acoustic guitar playing - what more do you need? What do we mean when we pick an album as 'album of the...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Sep 7, 20205 min read
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Sanza Soul - Laetitia Zonzambé
Is Bangui Africa’s very own Detroit? Zonzambé puts forward a convincing case… The last time I was tasked with writing an 'album of the...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Aug 23, 20204 min read
ISRAEL: Badeshe Etzel Avigdor - Arik Einstein & Miki Gavrielov
The Voice of Israel provides a wonderful soft rock album filled to the brim with beautiful melodies and soothing sounds The music of...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Aug 17, 20205 min read
CANADA: You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen
There is not a blurb that could do justice to this album. Listen to it ASAP. At NoiseNomad we typically review albums that are...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Aug 10, 20205 min read
PAKISTAN: Mustt Mustt - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
In his first Western album, the King of Qawwali shows off his immense vocal talent in an album that straddles the line between tradition...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Aug 3, 20203 min read
SPAIN: El Momento - Nacha Pop
An album full of hits that celebrates the freedom of the post-dictatorship era When I first listened to Nacha Pop’s El Momento, I thought...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jul 27, 20204 min read
AUSTRALIA: Flow State - Tash Sultana
Exciting and fresh, Sultana reinvigorates alternative rock by infusing it with a wide range of styles and genres At the age of 13 I...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jul 19, 20204 min read
SENEGAL: Immigrés - Youssou N'Dour
The King of mbalax proves why he is arguably Africa’s greatest living musical export For those who want to explore African music, Youssou...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jul 13, 20206 min read
SOUTH AFRICA: When You Come Back - Vusi Mahlasela
Joyous and melancholy, hopeful and cautious, Mahlasela's masterful lyrical and musical ability make for an especially wonderful album...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jul 6, 20205 min read
ICELAND: Ágætis Byrjun - Sigur Rós
An artistic masterpiece that at moments transcends reality with its truly unique sound. Labelling something as ‘art’ does not bother me,...
0 comments
Joel Dwek
Jun 29, 20204 min read
AUSTRIA: The Princess Pts 1 & 2 - Parov Stelar
Despite being an album in two parts with distinct styles, Parov Stelar’s The Princess is an exceptionally consistent, coherent and...
0 comments
Danny Wiser
Jun 4, 20205 min read
CAPE VERDE: Miss Perfumado - Cesária Évora
The Barefoot Diva takes us on a musical journey as we are challenged to reflect on the eternal beauty of home, loved ones from our past,...
0 comments
Featured Albums
bottom of page