“Middle of the road” may seem like a funny way to describe a desert blues guitar-based trance-rock band from west Africa, but middle of the road aptly sums up Imarhan Timbuktu’s debut full-length offering, Akal Warled. Listeners new to the genre might be taken by the hypnotic guitars, chanted vocals and trance-inducing song structures, but then again, these are all typical elements to the genre, long since established by the likes of Tinariwen, Terakaft and Tamikrest.

Indeed, the abovementioned bands have all gone well beyond the basic elements and structures of this music, while newer musicians (newer to Western ears, anyway) like Bombino, Alhousseini Anivolla and Mariem Hassan have all put their individual stamp on things, whether vocally, by their choice of instrumentation, or their experimentation with outside producers and/or musicians. In contrast, Imarhan Timbuktu’s music often feels like a step backward—a return to “roots rock” for a style of music that’s still just beginning to grow past those roots in the first place. The resulting album feels less like roots music and more like a band who suffers from a dearth of fresh ideas.

The album kicks off with the midtempo rhythms and twanging guitar accents of “Aicha Talamomt,” a tune that sets the tone for what is to follow. Raspy, husky vocals float over a bed of guitar picking and handheld percussion, in a song that rolls along without any typical verse-chorus-verse structure. Call-and-response vocals keep things motoring along, while pitched-guitar interludes punctuate each verse. In this way, “Aicha Talamomt” falls squarely into the center of what is expected. There are a few background ululations too, just to keep things real.

The balance of the album follows through on this template with unsurprising regularity. Tempos are consistent to the point of near-monotony: if you start your toe tapping as the album kicks off, you will be able to hold steady for virtually the whole length of the record with only occasional tweaks. Vocals, guitars and percussion are similarly layered in track after track, and tend to bleed together even after repeated listenings. Most songs range from the five- to six-minute mark, so there is plenty of time for the band to establish a groove and then explore it, but there is no track that stands out in terms of extended jamming, or guitar pyrotechnics, or particularly affecting vocals. The band does a fine job of taking a groove and running with it, but those grooves are awfully similar from one track to the next.

The news isn’t all bad. The musicianship is capable and the vibe remains low-key but energetic throughout. Tunes like “Amassakoul In Ténéré” and “Taliat Malal” are earwormy, and benefit from lively melodies and plenty of verve. Album closer “Tidawt” is a sober, reflective tune whose English title, “Unity” suggests that the song may be addressing the ongoing civil war in Mali (this is pure conjecture on my part, however).

Newcomers may find Akal Warled compelling, or even revelatory, but the fact is it sounds ten years out of date. Listeners with some experience of how the music has evolved over the past decade-plus are apt to be underwhelmed. This isn’t a bad record but any means, but there are plenty if more compelling alternatives out there.