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Dhafer Youssef rediscovers himself

CD Review: Glow by Dhafer Youssef & Wolfgang Muthspiel.

For a couple of years, Tunisian singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef seemed to have lost his way. After his astonishing masterpiece, the album Malak from 1999, he produced a series of CDs diverging into electronics, dance beats and drum ‘n’ bass, increasingly lacking in originality. It’s not that he ever made a bad record, but the high expectations Malak generated were never met.

Until now. Glow, which Youssef made with Austrian guitar wizard Wolfgang Muthspiel, marks a return to the realm of unearthly splendour. Gone is the coquetry with hip, trendy musical styles. Youssef is no longer swayed by the issues of the day. With his lyrics set against a sparsely populated sonic firmament, the self-taught Sufi vocalist makes his limber voice sparkle like a precious gem. With his very first intonation, Youssef grabs the listener by the throat. His range is still as phenomenal as it was eight years ago: from deeply resonating baritone to heights that would make any soprano jealous. Softly whispered phrases alternate with crystal-shattering outcries. Muthspiel playfully drapes his guitar lines around the melodies, occasionally supported by long, eerie notes from Tom Harrell’s trumpet. Bass and percussion take care of some additional propulsion, but usually it’s pure breath that dictates the metre.

This return to the daring formlessness of his debut album no doubt has been a risky undertaking for Dhafer Youssef, since no comeback can ever evoke the shock of that first experience. What we hear, however, is an artist who has reconnected with his most profound creative source, and no longer feels the need to measure himself against the rest of the world. What he achieved eight years ago was something he felt just happened to him. Now he’s back, having finally established full ownership of his art.

Dhafer Youssef and Wolfgang Muthspiel