Blue Arrow US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The title of veteran singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman's latest EP, Yatasamaroun, is an Arabic word that, roughly translated, means 'lovers talking softly together in the moonlight'. It's perhaps fitting, then, that the title track is a gorgeously exotic, steamy and moonlit affair that fuses North African, Andalucian and Middle Eastern instrumentation with spoken word monologues and Arabic singing. It's a fine, intoxicating musical brew that makes an even greater impact in the included 'Extended Mix' form. Elsewhere across the CD single, 'En La Discoteca Reggaeton' is a jangling, bluesy chunk of global musical fusion that's bold and infectious enough to suggest that it could work on open-minded dancefloors, while 'I'm In a Dancing Mood' sees Richman add his David Byrne-esque lead vocals to a Flamenco-inspired workout.