The Bamboos feat. Kylie Auldist – Like Tears In Rain
The latest release from Australia’s Bamboos keeps them on the front line’s of all things funky here in the 21st century. Now in their 10th year, and with guest vocals from Lyrics Born, King Merc and (on 7 of the 12 tracks) Kylie Auldist, the band is firing smoothly on all cylinders on their latest record 4 (due out 3/30), especially on the tracks “Keep Me In Mind,” “The Ghost” and the first single “On The Sly.”
In thinking about how the Bamboos’ sound has progressed over the years and in listening to this particular record I’m stuck in a bit of a critical conundrum. What should this type of soul/funk be called? It’s not purely “retro,” a title that I would give to Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, who attempt to 100% emulate the “original” soul sounds of the late 1960s. It’s not necessarily “modern” soul, since the sound is so clearly influenced from the past. It could be “post-modern” since these sounds are connected to the past, but (like Mayer Hawthorne’s “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”) they are read through post-Hip-Hop ears. But at the same time it doesn’t seem as “po-mo” as an artist like say Gnarls Barkley. So, I guess that makes it neo-retro po-mo soul???? Whatever the sub-genre, it is yet another solid effort from one of Australia’s finest.
As an added treat here’s a little behind the scenes video of the group having some fun at their photo shoot for the album cover and on the sets of the “You Ain’t No Good” and “On The Sly” videos:
If you want to see the finished version of “On The Sly” click here