Bamboo Brothers – Bamboo Brothers

How is it, that a largely unknown band from Denmark can release one of the best Westcoast AOR albums of the last decade? Up until I put this album...

RELEASED BY : WARNER MUSIC (DEN) OUT NOW!!

Style: Westcoast AOR

Links: http://www.myspace.com/bamboobrothers

Tracklist:

1. Moments

2. 15 Minutes Of Fame

3. Easy Life

4. Would You Believe

5. How Could You Do It?

6. Celia

7. Sweet Echoes

8. Maybe Someday

9. Mayday

10. Nothing To Do

11. The Nightfly Album

How is it, that a largely unknown band from Denmark can release one of the best Westcoast AOR albums of the last decade? Up until I put this album in my player I had never even heard of BAMBOO BROTHERS. A bit of research led me to discover that the have been around quite a while and released their debut album NO EASY WAY back in 1993 and had a decent amount of success in their homeland Denmark. BAMBOO BROTHERS too an extended break from 1995 until 2005, when they got back together and begun writing what has now turned into the new album MOMENTS. I am still yet to hear the band’s previous work so I won’t be making any comparisons to it. While obviously Westcoast, BAMBOO BROTHERS have a bit of a unique take on the style, featuring a more prominent acoustic portion but still remaining nicely in the genre. There’s a few elements of some funk music and some blues music, but it’s the Westcoast sound that shines through dominant, and what a treat it is.

The versatile voice of Mikael Roupé is a true highlight with a sound that is like a cross between HUEY LEWIS and BOBBY KIMBALL, yes he’s that good, and when his voice is surrounded by the lush backup vocals the band sound just as good as the EAGLES did with their vocal harmonies. The songs are all excellently written and BAMBOO BROTHERS have a groove and swagger that is usually only reserved for bands with many more albums and tours under their belts.

There is bit of a mix between some slower, more acoustic based songs and the boppy, upbeat Westcoast stuff but as a whole the album flows very nicely from cover to cover and is one of the most complete pieces of work I have listened to so far this year.

MOMENTS opens up the album and a very classy acoustic number that reminds me of a more modern sounding Simon & Garfunkel. 15 MINUTES OF FAME is the first of the real Westcoast sounding songs with a great lyric. EASY LIFE sounds little bit like a cross between HUEY LEWIS and THE POLICE and features a chorus to die for. WOULD YOU BELIEVE is a song the band have carried over from 1984, and you can really tell it was written back then and could have easily been a number one hit for TOTO or LITTLE RIVER BAND. HOW COULD YOU DO IT is my favorite track of the album and sees a little bit of classic blues rock swagger mixed with a pure Westcoast chorus. MAYDAY is my favorite of the more acoustic based numbers and features a very intelligent lyric based around a song structure that reminds me of BILLY JOEL’S PIANO MAN crossed with some traditional Irish tune. THE NIGHTFLY ALBUM is a great song about a couple breaking up and the guy saying to the woman that she can have everything else but not THE NIGHTFLY ALBUM, in reference to the 182 classic album by DONALD FAGEN.

MOMENTS really came out of nowhere and smacked me around the head! I cannot believe I had never heard of these guys before, but I am so glad that I have now. BAMBOO BROTHERS have just gained a new fan and I have another superb album proudly in my collection. Easily the best Westcoast influenced album you will hear this year!!

Written by Zeezee

Ratings Zeezee  10/10

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Album Reviews
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