My first real experience with Ibeyi was listening to them perform live at the Festival International de Hammamet in 2023. The location of the event, a small amphitheatre at Dar Sebastian, was much more intimate than other music venues that I’ve been to, and I couldn’t help but be impressed by their performance. Afterwards, I began listening to their albums more closely. From time to time, I heard their music played by other people (most often “River”), but it wasn’t enough for me to develop a musical opinion.

Actually, my favorite song on the album is “Ghosts.” It, like many others here, mix European, African, and Latin American influences to produce something new. Ibeyi themselves are of mixed descent, but I think they identify most as being Afro-Cuban, an identity that comes through here. Interestingly enough, if I remember correctly, they also stated in the concert that they are of Tunisian descent, but Tunisian sounds don’t really have a presence in this album.

Altogether, it’s a mellow, slightly haunting, record, and it’s one that I appreciate quite a lot.