Bamboos - This Is How You Do It

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 25 / 10 / 2023

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I have to be honest that when I saw a photo of The Bamboos I couldn’t believe that they are responsible for what is for me one of the finest, funked-up ,soul-ridden albums of the year. Little did I know that after recording no less than ten albums, this nine-piece from Melbourne, Australia have been “recognised worldwide as masters of reinventing Soul and Funk, placing modern songwriting within classic arrangements and production’” Being an avid lover of Northern Soul and basically any type of Black music, this groove-laden offering from The Bamboos appealed to me right from the off. Lead by the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer Lance Ferguson, this latest album features the powerhouse vocals of Kylie Auldist along with guests such as Aloe Blacc, Durand Jones, Joey Dosik, Daniel Merriweather, Alice Russell and Tim Rogers. The Bamboos actually formed in 2000 and they have some notable accolades to their names being the first Australian Soul-Funk act to be signed to an overseas label and then the first to tour the UK and Europe, picking up various Australian awards along the way. They are about to undergo a tour of Europe which ends in the UK. This album is slightly off kilter with the previous ones in that it has gone a shade disco after being predominantly deep funk orientated, but fear not funk lovers. The groove is still there in abundance. It is just the band are continually seeking new pathways to explore. The opening title track sends a groove message out straight away, like something from the Pink Coconut in the early 1980s. ‘Ex Files’ is the first single to be taken from this album, and after that we get introduced to Reginald AK who is Kylie’s son on the slower but equally groovy ‘Safe from Harm’. KINGS appear on the also early 1980’s-sounding ‘Everything’s Gonna Be OK’. The beat just doesn’t stop with ‘The Main Event’, ‘The Space Between’ or ‘For the Record’, the latter of which has Ohmega Watts and Ozay Moore chipping in with a little free rap. ‘Bored’ and ‘Better Than That’ are both dance competition contenders while ‘Caicos Dawn’ is la ittle more abrasive but boogie worth none the less. ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Midlife Glow’ are a slower but just add to an album that for me is one of the best dance vibes this year so far. I have now embarked on a journey through their back catalogue so I’ll see you somewhere around the late1970s to the early to mid-1980s. Marvellous!

Track Listing:-

1 This Is How You Do It
2 Ex-Files
3 Safe From Harm (feat. Reginald AK)
4 Everything's Gonna Be OK (feat. KINGS)
5 The Main Event
6 Caicos Dawn
7 The Space Between
8 For The Record (feat. Ohmega Watts & Ozay Moore)
9 Afterglow
10 . Bored (feat. Reginald AK)
11 Midlife Glow (feat. Ozay Moore)
12 Better Than That

Band Links:-

https://www.thebamboos.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thebamboos
https://twitter.com/The_Bamboos

Play in YouTube:-

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