Bambara have returned with the first track from their upcoming album Shadow on Everything and have found no reason to lighten up.
Singer, Reid Bateh, drones hopelessly as he vividly describes the story of what sounds like a shallow one night stand from the perspective of both parties. With the aura of southern rock on a vicious come down, hazy lyrics like, “She’s tangled up in the sheets and she’s smiling sweet / Talking softly in her sleep/ He hops down to the driveway/ Stumbles to his car parked down the street” played over deep, rhythmic driving toms set the foundation for Bambara’s progressive guitar wails and build throughout the song.
In the end, the song’s crescendo leads to a fade out and abrupt end, like the lovers Bateh describes, “she wakes up and she sees his gone/ just like she expected/ but she hoped she’d be wrong.” It’s difficult to pull yourself out, once you start really listening to what Bateh is trying to mumble.
Bambara twist your stomach by accentuating the ugliness of the world and their music is amazingly effective at making you lose yourself in the trance like hum of their sound.
Shadow on Everything comes out on April 6th on Wharf Cat Records.