What are you going to receive for your twenty hard earned dollars? Only twelve of the best funk/soul/rock and roll tracks you'll have heard since the heyday of Sly and The Family Stone. I guess you could be forgiven if you think I'm exaggerating, and the only way to know will be to check them out for yourself now won't it. However, I don't think I've had a disc of new music rock me back on my heels in amazement like this one did since I know when.
First off, all the tracks are originals written for this disc save one, "Keaton's Walk" which had been languishing on tape in that mysterious place where recordings abide when they are lost and forgotten since the band laid it down in 1984. Secondly, as individuals these guys are all brilliant musicians, and together they not only illuminate each other, but create some sort of amazing ball of fire that casts a glow over anybody listening. Third, and most importantly, they don't take themselves seriously. That's not to say they don't take the business of creating great music seriously, but they know what they're doing isn't going to save lives or change the world, so there isn't any pomposity about what they do. They're here to make and play pop music and that's what they'll do for heaven's sake, with every fiber of their beings and piece of their hearts.
They also have a great sense of humour as you find out with the first song "Run Rabbit Run". Archie Brown, lead vocals, moans out a song about how hard it is to teach his pet bunny how to run. He discovers that shooting it in the butt with both barrels of a twelve gauge shot gun might not make it run, but it sure will get it flying and results in some great rabbit stew. While card carrying members of PETA without funny bones might not see the humour in this cut, it lets you know that you're in for a disc that's definitely not your typical pop recording.
From there on in the songs just keep getting better and better with the band exploring different variations of the funk and soul groove depending on the nature of the song. There's nothing even close to approximating a ballad, or even anything soppy and sentimental like you find on far too many so called soul records today. Unlike most other people The Bureau doesn't confuse the word soul with sentimental, or even worse orchestrated, middle of the road, adult listening warbling about how true my heart is or other such shit.
Article comments
1 - Sam Patterson
Thanks for your insightful review of the Bureau's forthcoming album. It sounds spectacular. Can't wait to hear it. I'll be ordering my copy from the band's official site later this week. The Bureau are back on track! Dexys euphoria! I'm in heaven.