Frànçois and the Atlas Mountains: Âge Fleuve (InFiné)

A group deserving of a far larger audience and a stunning live act of many years standing Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains have resurfaced with eighth LP Âge Fleuve.

Essentially multi-instrumentalist Frànçois Marry and a floating squad of friends and session musicians, the new set follows 2021s slightly muted Banane Bleue which had the feeling of clearing the decks of stray songs before setting out on the next project. Marry lost his father to Covid during the pandemic, which understandably informed the writing of the disc, a reflective and gently melancholic set.

Where previous releases alternated between French and English, here everything is sung in the latter. An outfit whose exploration of Afrobeat and rhythms beyond the standard 4/4 format has delivered several gems is highlighted by Ou mene la nuit which recalls the The Police’s early works.

On a similarly polyrhythmic tip, Aieul inconnu combines soft guitar chords and bongo supplied bossa nova rhythms, contrasting with the almost EDM pulse of Jeunes Versant which builds from a delicate Sigur Ros-esque drift into a pulsating mass that will surely take on extra dimensions live.

The almost title track Fleuve Des Ages and Party are gently melancholic pieces, the latter a morning after the night before missive, featuring a gorgeous minor chord shift midway through. Lead single Pas lents dans la neige (Slow Steps In the Snow) is pleasant if slightly inconsequential, dovetailing with the sax assisted Adorer and Le Fil, a duet with US indie folk singer Cassandra Jenkins, estimable aerated alt. pop pieces.

The jazzy Elle s'envole, evokes Radiohead at their gentlest, pattering along on soft drums a quietly impressive cut that grows in stature with repeated listens, like everything here. 4/5