Naâman ADD

Review

Album Review: Naâman - Temple Road

03/21/2022

by Gardy Stein

Naaman (Hebrew נַעֲמָן - "kindness")

Yes, Naaman is an ancient name. Martin Mussard, when deciding to devote his life to music in 2010, picked it from the Old Testament where it is mentioned both as one of the ten sons of Benjamin and as a Syrian captain who was healed of leprosy. As Naâman, the young artist now introduces us to his new opus Temple Road, his fourth studio album and a very personal collection of 17 songs. It was named after the street where he lived while in India, a country that has clearly left a lasting impact on him and his music, as we shall see. 

Released under the French label Big Scoop Records, the album's tracks were almost completely produced by Benjamin "Fatbabs" Jeanne, Naâmans beatmaker since back in the days. "Ceci est notre musique et elle vient du ❤" (This is our music and it comes from the heart), he says on his IG channel about their collaboration, and this attitude is absolutely perceptible.

Strong entry, Walk is a compositional masterpiece. On a decelerated beat, an exquisite bassline leads us through a pensive contemplation of life's journey, convincingly brought across by Naâman's warm, sonorous voice. "Father guide my steps forward to the place where I belong!" 

One of two pieces contributed by keyboarder Julian "Djoul" Mauvieux (the other one is the very gospel-like Joy), Time Is To Rebel continues this Reggae vibe. It gently makes us come to realize that this is the time to unify and start small local revolutions that will become global until "victorious we shall be". The song is accompanied by a video filled with sunshine, nature and smiling faces, a perfect pick-up for a grey day.

With a nod to Afrobeats, Lucky Day is one of the tracks that balance the more serious pieces of the album with a feel-good, danceable vibe. In the same category fall the Ska-infused Crazy featuring fellow countrymen Dub Inc, and Maputo, a lively celebration of Mozambique's capital with a guest appearance of the fantastic Losso Keita, who is also heard on Marcus Gad's Inna Nature back in 2019. 

That, actually, is a perfect bridge to another powerful combination called Soul Plan: in a beautiful communion of like minds, Marcus Gad joins Naâman in a veritable chant, grounding and assuring. "We all have a soul, de pon a rocky road, all have a goal, cosmically play a role...". Rafique Shaikh, who worked with Gad on several videos already, directed the visuals for Soul Plan as well, creating a magic synergy of sight and sound.

The same can be said of Sunrise Of India, a tender lovesong to creation captured in fairy-tale-like pictures of Naâman's chosen home by Valentin Campagnie, Sachin Pillai, Pierre Lemaire and Guillaume Agostini. As mentioned above, India keeps emerging throughout the album, whether in song, instruments (as in Fire) or in the sounds of a local market as in the Temple Road Interlude, which contributes to a wholesome feeling of interconnections.

Less Reggae, more feeling: On The Lookout is another fine example of Naâman's ability to weave intricate harmonies and meaningful lyrics onto a simple instrumental, refined in this case by guitarist Quentin "Badman" Dupont. Equally scaled back is the almost acoustic Yes-No, a lament of a relationship broken. Shoutout to Maxime Luck for that sweet alto sax!

Born Wild and Creator expand the genre-scope even further, introducing Pop-, Hip Hop- and Trap sounds, respectively. Still, there is no doubt that this is a Reggae release, as pieces like Take A Sip or the Nyabinghi-inspired Cheer Up exemplify (in the latter, you will hear a didgeridoo as well as a double bass next to the different drums). Chapeau to all the fantastic instrumentalists who have helped Naâman's and Fatbabs' vision come to life!   

A very intimate close, Endlessly features the artist's "loving wife and best friend" Karishma, to whom the whole release is dedicated. The Tabla played by Vaibhav Wavikar at the end of this last song might even pay homage to her Indian roots.

What a ride! Temple Road is an exceptional, diversified album for which all the creative potential of Team Naâman has been unleashed. He himself calls it his "most beautiful musical adventure of these last ten years", revealing to his fans recently that he has worked on it as if it were his last, as he was diagnosed with a cerebral tumour in 2019. So, while listening to his deep emotions cast in sound, send him some strengthening thoughts. May his biblical namesake assist in the healing!

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