Week 49

Medicine Man by The Bamboos

Here it is: Joe's favorite album of 2014. Yes it's a little funny that it came in within the last two weeks of the year, but hey, better late than never!

The Bamboos are an Australian funk outfit that usually kill the instrumental funk scene down under. However, for their fifth studio release, Medicine Man, the group adds some sweet sweet vocalization to their sounds thanks to the likes of Aloe Blacc, Ella Thompson, and Daniel Merriweather among others.

The opening track is one of my favorites. The Booker T & The MG's have a new sound, and it is called The Bamboos. At least in this case. Check it.

Keeping on the keeping on, we get a few other standout tracks including both featuring Kylie Audinst, "What I Know" and "Cut Me Down."

The Daniel Merriweather feature is solid. Not sure if it's because it's a great song, or that I'm just a big fan of his vocal sound. Either way, the sixth track, "I Never" is one of my favorites. 

Rounding out the highlight reel are the title track (which I'm pretty sure has been featured on some sort of CSI soundtrack) and the closer, another track featuring Kylie Audinst, "Window." This one is a little repetitive, but the production and layering behind the vocals are great. And then you get the lyrics and well, they're also great. Soul meets funk meets pop meets motown. I dig.

The Bamboos are an impressive group from down under that I wouldn't have discovered if it hadn't been for a head-fi Christmas Music Exchange in which I participated. If you'd like to hear something a little different before your year rounds out, I highly recommend this album from the Australian funk sensation, The Bamboos.