(Nawa Recordings/Cargo)
Born in Syria to Iraqi parents and now based in London, Khyam Allami was once best known for his percussion work on the indie rock circuit, and though he's still the drummer for Knifeworld he now has a very different musical speciality as an inventive and increasingly skilful exponent of the oud. On a remarkable album earlier this year, the Palestinian Trio Joubran showed how the Arabic lute can be used not just for backing work or solos but for complex and varied compositions, and Allami's debut album is a further reminder of its potential. This is a set of solo instrumental pieces (though he is joined by a percussionist for a live performance of the entire album on the accompanying DVD) and all but one are self-composed. They range from slow, thoughtful and drifting passages, based around single-note playing and repeated phrases, through to flurries of more rapid-fire strummed playing, as in the jaunty and engaging An Alif. Allami may be influenced by traditional Middle Eastern modal systems, but he's an original; there are constant changes of mood and direction.
Olivia Wilde Paulina Rubio Kirsten Dunst Vanessa Minnillo Katie Holmes
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