Athens, Georgia post-punk trio Bambara has been around for a few years, but with their new album “Stray” they are bound to reach a wider audience. Their fourth album will hit you hard immediately, in a good way. Their sound is destructive, large, cool, sultry, sweaty and at its most intense moments even overwhelming and confrontational.
Don’t be fooled by the depth of this “darkly thrilling blistering experimental rock-punk”. Pay attention to the pleasant contrast between the background vocals and the half-drunk baritone of singer Reid Bateh. Bateh’s brother Blaze plays the drums and William Brookshire is on bass. Live they are accompanied by one or sometimes even two guitarists. Bambara is about as filthy as The Birthday Party, and as imperturbably as Bodega, Dick Dale, Protomartyr. Daughters and IDLES.
Loud And Quiet: “Very few artists these days make rock and roll as threatening as Bambara.”