The Bamboos - Step It Up (2006)

With their limited-edition 7"s making waves among beat heads and soul connoisseurs around the world, the Bamboos were quickly snapped up by Tru Thoughts in the U.K. and Ubiquity in the U.S. for their debut album. And Step It Up lives up to the hype and then some, as the band is as tight as any modern-day funk ensemble could possibly be. Exorcising the spirits of the Meters, the J.B.'s, and boogaloo giants long passed, the group delivers a fiery 11-song session that's as potent as any other band performing today. Alice Russell's vocal contributions on "Step It Up" and Afronaught's now classic broken beat anthem "Transcend Me" are bright and near flawless. This is an album custom-made for sweaty summer dance and house parties, or driving around the strip in your best car or newly polished scooter coming straight out of storage from the winter. Anyone needing a good shot of soul or a reaffirmation in the sound would be well served in picking this up. -- Rob Theakston ~