Daniel Lanois produced the masters remotely at his studio in Los Angeles, California and selected some backing musicians who traveled to Tinariwen's recording locations.

Timothy Monger AllMusic called the album "compelling and strange... [Tinariwen] are a musical entity like no other, translating the essence of their culture through creative exploration and complementary collaborations, yet always attuned to their inner compass.

"[1] Tom Taylor of Far Out called the album "a singular swell of music that quenches the soul’s thirst for spiritualism in these hectic times like the first sip of a cold drink after ambling to a watering hole on a hot summer’s day.

noted the musical variety of the album, calling it "Tinariwen's most sonically varied affair" that "seamlessly combines drawling banjo, sooty fiddle and Lanois' moody production, all while sounding wholly like themselves.

"[6] While John Lewis of Uncut noted that album's lyrics reflect "an object lesson in how messy and complicated rebellion can be,"[10] David Hutcheon of Mojo described Amatssou as "An unforgettable fire [that] still burns in the Sahara.