Bongo Boy Records, Vol. XXII – Various Artists (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

As I said in another recent review of a Bongo Boy release, this label covers a lot of ground musically and releases albums at an unprecedented rate for the modern age. But that is a good thing, right? With so much new music to choose from, your average pop picker, rock aficionado and dance devotee is faced with a bewildering array of options.

What Bongo Boy Records does, and does so well, is curate and compile all the best new music, whether made by rising new talent or established artists who deserve a wider audience, into albums which should be considered shortlists, an easy way to cut to the chase, of finding the best new music around, from across genres and geographic locations, all sounds and styles. They do the sorting and sifting and separate the sonic wheat from the musical chaff, so you don’t have to.

And this new album kicks off with something a bit different, even by Bongo Boy’s broad and eclectic benchmarks. But The Kreyòl Song by Lavender Blues again underlines their wide-reaching sonic brief, a song which blends an Afro-beat groove with shimmering pop vibes, a world music creation with a lilting beat and a lovely warmth. Not a bad way to start.

From there, we find ourselves in the presence of one of the label’s most popular and prolific bands. The NEW Bardots is a rock band, for sure, but they always manage to bring things bang up to date, changing the template just enough so that they walk a fine line between the fresh and the familiar, comfort zones and adventure. Policy of Truth shows how skilful the band is, taking this 1990 Depeche Mode hit and turning it into a righteous rock banger, complete with wailing harmonica and squalling riffs. That’s how you make a cover your own.

High-octane funk-pop is on the cards next with The L&M Project Band, featuring the sweet and sophisticated vocals of Jenna G, and Dancin’ With Myself straddles any number of genres and combines the funkiest bass lines, plenty of pop infectiousness and just enough rock drive to add some weight and authenticity. Imagine Miami Sound Machine if they grew up listening to Cheap Trick. Sort of.

We turn to the more mellow next as Jose Calarco gives us Dreaming Under The Sun, a deft and delicate blend of understated music and life-affirming lyrics with more than a whiff of 60’s hippy optimism about them. Something that the world needs more than ever right now. Also trying to make a deep and soulful connection with her audience is Karen Harding, and Anxiety proves to be a wonderful sense of ambience and space used as a platform for simple and satisfying musical pulses and a voice that uses understatement to make a massive impact on the listener.

Artic Baba takes us down the route of a soulful, alt-pop ballad with You, at least to begin with, anyway. As the song winds its way onward, it is punctuated by powerful rock-driven interludes and adds touches of classical guitar and mournful violin before reaching its final crescendo. Studeo, another of the label’s stalwarts, blend rock power and pop immediacy, controlled melodies and powerful guitar salvos to give us Silence, and Arthur Jae’s My Valentines mixes modern pop sensibilities with a timeless romantic message.

Crazy Mad In Love is a cool indie-rock blast of the type that Boys’N’Barry revel in, a song that is so full of upbeat joy that it demands, yes demands, that the listener moves, dances, cut a rug, wigs out, throws some shapes, does whatever comes naturally, whether they are on the dance floor or in the kitchen. You won’t be able to help yourselves. Trust me.

Clark Ford, aided and abetted by Underground Treehouse, harks back to the time of cool crooners and 50’s clubland sophistication, and I’ve Been Waiting For You, a cool and crystal clear duet between the two, is like a time machine to simpler times.

Things are rounded off with The NEW Bardots’ own Gar Francis and a slick and rocked up (naturally) cover of the lesser-known Beatles’ song, And Your Bird Can Sing. Any song garnered from the groundbreaking Revolver album is fine with me, and Gar’s version is both respectful and yet free-wheeling enough to make it his own.

And there we have it. Another collection of new music and rising artists and the perfect way to just cut to the chase and get straight to the music that matters. And I would do so quickly because with Bongo Boy’s work rate, there will be another collection along in no time, and you wouldn’t want to get left behind, would you?

Official Album Website