eMusic Review 0
At an age when many would have retired, Tony Allen returns with his most consistent album since the 1999 comeback Black Voices. As on Lagos No Shaking (2005), he revisited his hometown of Lagos in Nigeria to make this record, and again, rather than exploiting his celebrity connections with Damon Albarn et al., he shares the limelight with a big posse of local talent.
Just as the music mixes up African and African-American references, the five guest singers slip between Yoruba, English and Broken English — often within the same song — complementing the driving flow of Allen's subtle-but-solid kit work. With appearances on four tracks, Oribiyi Adunni (a.k.a. Ayo) performs the lion's share of the vocals, and is especially impressive on "Ayenlo". Fans of Jill Scott will recognise a kindred spirit in Bola Dumoye ("Switch"), and King Odudu has Femi Kuti's tone and Fela's languid charm on "Celebrate". Co-producer Fixi's arrangements feature wonderful horns throughout, often sparring with a chorus of backing singers, and he also manages a battery of instruments, including an accordion, which is rather novel for Afrobeat.
As Ayo puts it, it's the "rhythm of pleasure" and Secret Agent is very easy on the ear, even… read more »
