Tirogo

Sometimes two chords are all you need to get by ― that's the Tirogo way. Here's another psychedelic Nigerian band reissued for a global funk audience. This album first appeared in 1977 and features a more pronounced American feel than most of the music collected on Soundway compilations. Though, track for track, it wouldn't let down any Afro-funk mix, this isn't a highly original effort. It's not because of the American influence; rather, it's the weakness in the songwriting, which ultimately fails to do anything truly interesting with these influences. Tracks two through five are basically variations on a theme, albeit a pretty funky one. The stronger songs, like the title track and their self-titled theme song, benefit from a few more ideas and stand out accordingly. Special mention must go to the preachy, yet hippie, lyrics, which are a source of amusement throughout. This isn't to take anything away from the band's ability to get a hell of a groove going, but aside from some fairly impressive, acid-soaked lead guitar, it's just missing that spark that separates good from great.