Still suffering from Slumdog Millionaire-induced world music PTSD? Me too. What a shitty movie.

But it’s okay, as The Very Best is, well, the very best cure for that “Jai Ho” bullshit. A collaboration between Malawi native Esau Mwamwaya and production duo Radioclit, The Very Best’s MySpace boils their style neatly down to Tropical Melodramatic Popular Showtunes. If the word “Zazu” comes to mind, you’re not exactly wrong. But you’re not exactly right, either. It’s really, really good! “Just Can’t Wait To Be King” good!

It seems like world music is such a hit-or-miss genre. For starters, what exactly qualifies as “world music”? Shit that wasn’t produced by The-Dream? And ever since “Buena Vista Social Club” exploded in popularity, the genre has basically become a must-have for yuppie dinner parties.

Thankfully, The Very Best steers clear of soiree hell with authentic African drumbeats, lush harmonies, and just enough electro tinge to ensure satisfaction from the Vampire Weekend set. Did I mention Vampire Weekend is here? Okay, not the whole band, but Ezra Koenig stops by on “Warm Heart of Africa,” a song that Paul Simon could have easily included on Graceland, if M.I.A. had been at all mainstream in 1986.

Conveniently enough, M.I.A. lends a hand on “Rain Dance,” a song whose only fault is the fact that they totally used one of those tourist knick-knack rainsticks as an instrument at the beginning. But if that’s The Very Best’s only real fault, they’re good in my book. Look for their collaboration with The-Dream to come out sometime around Valentine’s Day.

PS. Let’s everyone give that album cover a nice round of applause.