Desert Roses 4 CD - Import

There tends to be a law of diminishing returns in a series, especially of compilation albums. The first one can be hot, and the second one pretty good, but by the time you hit the fourth in the series, the quality is decidedly lower. Sadly, that's pretty much the base here. There are some good cuts, such as Cheb Nasro's "C'est Pas La Peire," but for the most part this is a very pedestrian excursion into contemporary Arab music, as on Naked Rhythm's rather boring rap to Arab-inflected music or the cuts by Saad and Hoda. However, the mediocrity does mean that the good tracks really stand out. Zohar, with "Let There Be Light" seems to head North, more to Armenia and the Balkans, and away from the freneticism that's a signature of much of the music here. Everything ends on a high note, though, with the wonderfully named Soap Kills from Lebanon, who show that the electro scene there is alive and very creative. Overall, in spite of a few gems, it's hard to recommend this, especially as it comes without any liner notes giving information on the bands. ~ Chris Nickson