There's no second-album slump for Ahmed Gallab, that's for sure. The Sudanese multi-instrumentalist was best known at the time of his Mars debut for drumming with Yeasayer, Caribou and Of Montreal. Mean Love now firmly establishes his own credentials. This is a kaleidoscopic forage and a beautiful rendering of music from across Gallab's various musical globes. From the Sudanese swirl embedded in his genes to his masterly craftsmanship when it comes to rhythmic precision, honed by working with various indie acts, Gallab has the means, structures and foundations in place for an ace set of tunes. There's more funk and bounce here than last time out, with tracks such as How We Be, the powerful Yacha and Hold Tight demonstrating a newish take on familiar tropes. Gallab isn't afraid to be adventurous when it comes to mixing and matching, and Mean Love is all the better for such an approach. sinkane.com