The Bamboos
Night Time People


4.0
excellent

Review

by Dewinged STAFF
July 11th, 2018 | 47 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: There is a new queen in the funkhood.

Australian deep funk ensemble The Bamboos have always been well considered in the funkesphere for being able to recreate some of the core sounds of the 60s flawlessly, infusing it with modern disco, pop and cinematic psychedelia. Having landed in 2005 in Brighton based label Tru Thoughts, home of artists like Quantic and Hidden Orchestra, their first album Step it Up introduced a band delivering some quality funk chops with the guest vocals of label mate Alice Russell. The band kept developing their peculiar blend through four fantastic albums, relying more and more on guests singers until peeking with the extraordinary 4, which not only featured a large roster of vocalists, it also showed founder guitarist Lance Ferguson and co. at the height of their songwriting game with dance floor crushers like “Tears in the Rain” and “On the Sly”.

It was in their second album, Rawville, where a notorious voice was featured for the very first time in the single “I Don’t Wanna Stop”. Her participation in the band’s music would exponentially increase with every release, until finally stealing the show in the aforementioned 4. Among the sheer amount of vocalists that have taken part in the music of The Bamboos throughout the years, Australian diva Kylie Auldist have always felt like THE singer of The Bamboos. Her raspy, Aretha Franklin-like torrent of voice have always felt at home with their soul & funk concoctions. In Fever in the Road, the band’s previous album, a serious sing-off took place between Auldist and newfound pop singer Ella Thompson, where the two shared vocal duties, each one of them in half of the tracks. Where Auldist would bring that classic Bamboos sound, Thompson felt like a wonderful fling, a much needed gush of fresh air for a band maybe too comfortable in the same cycle for ten years. Thompson was a dangerous affair though, one that invited the colorful Bamboos into Thompson’s darker and dreamier influence, which on the other hand helped to spawn some fascinating tracks like the puzzling “Avenger”.

It took 5 years to know the outcome of that battle for the future of The Bamboos. Not only Auldist seems to have rised victorious, she has somehow managed to become the axis of the band. Yes, Night Time People is an album constructed and executed around the unmistakably wonderful voice of Kylie Auldist. The instrumental incursions the band used to dwell in their first outcomes have been reduced to one and only track, a homage to the Black Mirror episode of the same name, “San Junipero”, while extra guest vocalists J-Live, Urthboy and Teesy have been relegated to three (dope) versions of the splendid closer “Broken”, placed mercilessly in the album’s tail.

First single and opener “Lit Up” quickly shows The Bamboos haven’t lost any of their magic: rythmic brass stomping their way at the beat of the kick drum for ol’ times sake and Kylie unchained in a phenomenal chorus. “Stranded” and “Salvage Rites” show the band taking a poppier and more laid back approach, with the first one riding on a drum and bass beat to to the band’s most atmospherical approach up to date. “Golden Ticket” displays what The Bamboos know how to do best, sweet and sticky melodies over a jittery funk pattern. Night Time People’s first half closes almost untarnished but it’s from the title and fifth track, “Night Time People”, where the album starts to slowly unveil its only flaw. The inclusion of a good and well assorted number of singers in every release is something that has always benefitted greatly the music of The Bamboos throughout their career, but in Night Time People that has been dismissed in favor of a blind and absolute trust in Kylie Auldist as the driving force of the album. By the time tracks like “Backfire” or “You Should’ve Been Mine” hit, The Bamboos’ newest output is already suffering this. What the band have gained in consistency and identity, they have lost it in diversity and freshness and, while it’s definitely not something that drags the album anywhere near the moving sands of boredom, it would have been interesting to see the band risking their safe space once again, like they did in the past with singers like Ella Thompson.

All in all, Night Time People is a solid comeback for one of the most captivating groups in today’s funk and soul scene, a backbone twisting slab of pop colored funk that reaffirms The Bamboos in their rich and unique sound while keeping their hefty and rich legacy intact.



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user ratings (8)
3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 11th 2018


32179 Comments


Slowly trying to get back into the reviewing game (Gosh, it's so hard).

Check "Lit it Up" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spG8E0nMLDc

Cause it's lit.

(Slow clap)

Papa Universe
July 11th 2018


22502 Comments


the bamPOS

this'll be difficult for me to swallow, but I'll try. what the heck, aye?

bgillesp
July 11th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Woooo!! SuperPos

bgillesp
July 11th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

The album is Night Time People btw. Very well written even though I think relying on Auldist is a good move for them

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 11th 2018


32179 Comments


Corrected. Goddamn I'm dumb. Good catch bgill, and tx for the poses, night people.

clavier
Emeritus
July 11th 2018


1206 Comments


Nice review, pos'd : )

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 11th 2018


32179 Comments


Thanks Claire!

klap
Emeritus
July 13th 2018


12410 Comments


love the bamboos, nice review

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 13th 2018


32179 Comments


"4" is one of my favourite albums of all time man, glad to hear you dig them too klap.

I am liking this one more with every listen. The closer (Broken) breaks my hips.

bgillesp
July 13th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I like the three versions back to back on the Spotify version

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 13th 2018


32179 Comments


Yeah man, I can't decide which one is the best one.

bgillesp
July 30th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

The first version is my favorite. How could you not 4.5 this Dewi?!?!?!?!

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 30th 2018


32179 Comments


Aaah I think that apart from Broken, the second half loses momentum man, can't enjoy it as much as the rest.

bgillesp
July 30th 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Golden Ticket is the only one that lags at all to me. But it reminds me of EWF so I still dig it

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
July 31st 2018


32179 Comments


For me from t/t until Broken all the songs sound more standard compared to the first half, like the melodies feel more bland and the beats don't make them any better. The instrumental also can't compare to a song like "Typhoon" from 4, that track is an insane jam.

bgillesp
July 31st 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I need to give 4 a few more spins

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
October 22nd 2018


32179 Comments


We still enjoying this bgill? Cause I think we are the only ones haha

bgillesp
October 22nd 2018


8868 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Yup. Top 5 on the year currently. Top 10 by the end no doubt

ZombieToyDuck
October 22nd 2018


7203 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I'll join the crew after I finish jamming this Of Machines album

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
October 22nd 2018


32179 Comments


Niiiice duck.



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