The Afronauts - Cosmic Griots (2025)

Consistently funky and smile-inducing multi-diasporic Polish band The Afronauts channel the classic Afrobeat sound of Fela Kuti, the Ghanaian highlife of Ebo Taylor and much else besides. The eight-piece groove machine put their own spin on this horn-laden and infinitely danceable music. Throughout Cosmic Griots, the tight, synchronised brass lines provided by baritone sax player Alex Clov, alto saxophonist Ethan Smith and trombonist Gaspard Benoit top a sound built on tight drum grooves and funky guitars. The joyous saxophone solo on ‘Everything Go Down’ is a highlight on one of the album’s most memorable cuts. Moroccan-born singer Hicham Bajjou delights throughout with his multilingual vocals, often being used in a call-and-response format. Elsewhere ‘Hysteria’ sees the guitar of Grzegorz Kosowski come to the fore, while album closer ‘J’attend’ rattles along at a pace, tying the album up in a suitably fiery fashion. The Afronauts’ debut explodes with potential and points towards a bright future.

Tracklist:
1-1 The Afronauts - Dawina [4:29]
1-2 The Afronauts - Everything Go Down [7:58]
1-3 The Afronauts - Sagesse Africaine [5:03]
1-4 The Afronauts - Jestem [7:58]
1-5 The Afronauts - Hysteria [5:39]
1-6 The Afronauts - J'attends [8:18]