More about: Bambara

Having emerged among the recent wave of post-punk revivalism, New York-based Bambara have proven themselves as one of the more unique offerings with their last few studio releases. 

Though not hitting the same commercial heights as some of their British contemporaries (though features on BBC6Music and tours with IDLES have gained them decent exposure) the band have been steadily carving out their niche as engrossingly dark storytellers, with an exhilarating sound comprised of trebly guitars and thunderous drums; like the soundtrack to a spaghetti western bar brawl turned full blood bath. 

Naturally for a band on the up, a global pandemic halted much of their momentum, including tour postponements (a shame, as they are truly a force to be reckoned with on stage) and remotely pieced together recordings that were scrapped due to them being, as the band puts it, “dishonest”. Thankfully, the band sound anything but dishonest on Love On My Mind, the resulting mini-album/EP formed from the band having reconvened back in New York. 

Right off the bat, the moody '80s goth style synths of opener 'Slither in The Rain' sets the tone of the project brilliantly, before giving way to the ramshackle rockabilly rhythm of 'Mythic Love' both of which sound distinctly 'Bambara'. The music is pretty much what you can have come to expect from the band thus far and perhaps, whilst some unexpected sonic variation would have been welcomed, when the formula is serving the project as well as it is here, the band can be forgiven for sticking to their sound. 

Their cinematic blend of strung-out cowpoke guitars, bleeding with reverb, and menacing basslines is completed by the compelling lyrics of frontman Reid Bateh. 

Having showcased his talents on 2020's Stray and 2018's Shadow on Everything, he continues here to craft with an array of noir-tinged themes, tragic characters, and moody atmospheres in a style more akin to that of southern Gothic novelist than a traditional rock lyricist. 

There's a running theme of photography across the record, and Reid excels in framing striking images of his own, enhancing small nuances and blowing up details with evocative imagery that’s often-equal parts haunting and beautiful. It begins strongly on 'Slither in The Rain'—which sees the drunken protagonist hurling cans at planes coming into land in the hope of seeing the sky “open up”—and carries on throughout, a highlight being the brilliant 'Birds' where Bateh reels off a number of engrossing, intimate vignettes which fade in and out as the characters fall asleep on a train". “Yeah I’d just clipped my first dove with my father’s shotgun/ I was bleeding in the sunlight / I found her among the sunflowers still flapping her wings/ with your head on my knees/ I scooped her up gently and set her free/ and love on my mind.”

The inclusion of 'Mythic Love', a proper (if somewhat vulgar and visceral) love song, a sharper focus on a narrative built around a relationship, and the added female vocals on the aforementioned 'Mythic Love' and closer 'Little Wars' which complement nicely with Bateh’s pained husk—it’s the band’s most introspective and vulnerable work thus far.

Though words often fly past you at pace under washes of noise, the short runtime of Love on My Mind means its storytelling is tight and relistens are easy, allowing you to jump back in and get your head around the bits you may have missed without too much trouble. It is a little light on the hooks though, whilst no one track could be deemed meandering, it is missing something like the growling earworm of 'Serafina' from Stray or the exhilarating chaos of Shadow on Everything’s 'Monument'. 

Love On My Mind is a record haunted by memory, recollected through vibrant visions and dreams, scars and photographs, with an overarching sense of loss and regret. It’s nature as a mini-album naturally lends itself to leave you wanting more, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it’s a worthy reminder of why Bambara are one of the more exciting rock bands of recent time.

Love On My Mind arrives 25 February via Wharf Cat.

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More about: Bambara