Afrikan Majik

Ok, gang! My vote for sleeper album of the summer is Afrikan Majik by Je Suis France. Je Suis France is a crazy stoner collective of (at least) nine dudes from Atlanta, Boston, Athens, LA and SF. This album is all over the place.

While opener "Sufficiently Breakfast" is a sixteen minute spaced-out southern rock jam, the next track is an anthemic post-punk proclamation, and "Whalebone" is heavy on the Apocalypse Now synths and Dark Side Of The Moon drum production. There are glitchy interludes, heavily processed vocals, rock-folk numbers, multiple eight-plus minute tracks, tranquil odysseys, and programmed beats mixed with live drums. Some of the other tracks have the carefree nuttiness of Beck's One Foot In The Grave and titles almost on par with old Minus The Bear (see "Digital Shrimp", "The Love Of The France", and "California Still Rules.") They cap the whole experience off with--get ready--a surprisingly good reggae number.

All of this variety really works to Je Suis France's advantage. I don't think I'd want to hear a whole album of any one of these song types, but a twelve-track collection of craziness works. If Babyshambles' Down In Albion was the "best demo" of 2005, then Afrikan Majik takes the prize for 2007.