Another in a long line of classic old-school funk from the consistently terrific Tru Thoughts, the soul has boiled up from down under this time around. The debut full length from The Bamboos, Step It Up glows with the tightest jazzy, soulful jive I've ever heard come out of Australia (to my mind, more renowned for producing hard rock and progressive electronica). This is by no means shallow mimicry, either. Their cover of Archie Bell & The Drells' "Tighten Up" sounds more realized than the original, while their re-envisioning of Afronaught's breakbeat classic "Transcend Me" demonstrates their ability to twist the untraditionally funky to their own ends. Tru everywhere girl Alice Russell adds her contagious croon to the aforementioned highlight "Transcend Me" as well as the bumpin' album-opening title track, thereby truly initiating the six piece into the label family. Being as The Bamboos previously toured as the majority of the Quantic Soul Orchestra during their visit to Oz, these collaborations sound coolly organic and not forced or slapped together. I would like to hope this is merely the first occurrence in a trend of global Quantic Soul franchises: spreading the funk from band to band and country to country like the fever it once was. The world could never have enough bands like Quantic and The Bamboos. I believe Kenny Dope, Mr. Scruff, and Gilles Peterson would agree with me on that one.
1. Step It Up feat. Alice Russell
2. Tighten It Up (album version)
3. In The Bamboo Grove
4. Golden Rough
5. Black Foot
6. Transcend Me feat. Alice Russell
7. Tobago Strut
8. Another Day In The Life Of Mr Jones
9. Crooked Cop
10. Eel Oil
11. Voodoo Doll (album version)
More about: The Bamboos
