The African/Blues/World Music of Tinariwan often touches on the feel/sound of the North Mississippi Hill Country, sometimes getting labeled "Desert Blues."
 
Their 2-LP set "Amadjar" received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic praised the album as "a testament to their unyielding collaborative spirit, and on this hybrid of an album, they again summon a common musical language while sounding as authentic as ever." In the words of PopMatters, "No one puts the soul of the Sahara into music so intimately and ingeniously as Tinariwen, and Amadjar is a particularly well-polished jewel." The A.V. Club said that the album is possibly the best of Tinariwen's career, as "droning songs of interlocking (and mostly acoustic) guitar come together with an appealing slowness, as if each element is steadily wandering in from the wilderness, curious about the noise and ready to join in." The Times of London described the album as having "a sound that feels ancient, empty and slightly scary." Riff Magazine praised the album as "the closest anyone will get to the true essence of what Tinariwen represent as a cultural and musical force." Glide Magazine said "Amadjar brims with a true roots essence" and "speaks of unity and togetherness, an understanding that the future needs to be fought together in community and harmony."