Mdou Moctar, "Kamane Tarhanin" (Sahel Sounds)

Mdou Moctar—a left-handed Tuareg guitarist based in Agadez, Niger—has been gaining Western listeners at an impressive clip, along with other African desert musicians such as Tinariwen, Imarhan, Bombino, Group Inerane, and Group Doueh. Their strangely tuned, cyclical blues-rock frequently soars into psychedelic territory, inducing trance-like states as well as dancing—albeit to rhythms that are choppier than most Western groove-oriented music. It's an expansive, feel-good style that has made these artists amenable to jam-band fans as well as to open-minded appreciators of defiant global music.

"Kamane Tarhanin," the first single from Moctar's new album, Ilana: The Creator (out March 29), starts out like sacred music, all muted, spectral guitar and soulful chants, before the group kicks into what might be the Nigerien version of the choogle. Moctar uncoils radiant, undulating spangles of six-string sorcery and the call-and-response vocals float in as if from a great distance, multiplying their poignancy. I haven't a clue what they're singing, but I'm moved to my core by Moctar and company's voices. And, holy shit, that late-song rave-up is a transcendent sirocco of sound. I can't imagine "Kamane Tarhanin" not making my top 20 of 2019 list.

Mdou Moctar performs Sunday, April 14 at Chop Suey.