Lo'Jo - Fonetiq Flowers

The Guardian 60

(World Village)

Lo’Jo might be veterans of the world music scene, but the French band can still surprise. Starting out in the early 1980s, they created a distinctive style in which the gruff voice and poetic lyrics of pianist Denis Péan are matched with edgy, driving vocals of Algerian sisters Nadia and Yamina Nid el Mourid, along with influences that range from chanson and jazz to African music. This new album was recorded while travelling in Africa, South Korea and the US, and is one of their best. Péan is in fine, laid-back voice, backed by a kaleidoscope of sounds, with layers of keyboard, violin, Korean zither and oud, along with trumpet by Erik Truffaz. The sisters take the lead on a couple of songs, including the jaunty Noisy Flower. All that is missing from this sophisticated, robust set is a translation of the intriguing lyrics.