The Bamboos
Medicine Man
Release Date: Jun 4, 2012
Genre(s): R&B, Pop/Rock
Record label: Tru Thoughts
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Album Review: Medicine Man by The Bamboos
Very Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 7/10
In 2006, Lance Ferguson formed the Bamboos in Australia based on the inspiration of hard instrumental funk à la the Meters and the D.I.Y. aesthetic of the Dap-Kings. Half-a-dozen albums and numerous singles later, the Bamboos have expanded from their original quartet to become a ten-piece powerhouse. Medicine Man is a prime example of not only their ambition, but their expertise.
Based on rating 7/10
Since their beginnings, the Bamboos have developed their soul and funk skills, retaining the authentic feel of New Orleans funk—think the Meters—while developing a contemporary soul sound that sits alongside the likes of The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley or the recent Quantic and Alice Russell album Look Around The Corner. They quickly reached a level of praise from the more esoteric tastemakers and DJs on the soul and funk scene—the likes of Gilles Peterson and Adrian Gibson in the UK spring to mind—and could be guaranteed to fill the floor in both live and club settings. What the Bamboos never really had was a settled or regular vocalist that would fit their style of music.
Opinion: Excellent
The Australians’ hybrid soul and funk sound continues to impress. David Katz 2012 During the last decade, Melbourne-based musical conglomerate The Bamboos have been making an impact with a hybrid sound tastefully referencing the great soul and funk of the 1960s and 70s, without ever falling into the retro trap. That their material has been handled by Tru Thoughts, the Brighton-based independent that has brought forth musical delights by Quantic and Bonobo, already gives it a certain legitimacy – but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and Medicine Man, the group’s fifth album, goes down like a mango and lemon syllabub.