Has Tarantino heard of the Bombay Royale yet? If not, he should really pull his finger out as their theatrically spectacular musical melodrama would slide right into place on one of his famous and perfectly devised movie soundtracks. The band has ’70s cult/exploitation clearly written all over them but there’s a thick velvety texture to the Bombay Royale. Their debut album, You Me Bullets Love sees them incorporate a range of influences into their core Bollywood inspired sound – making for one exciting sonic journey.
Piercing organ starts Monkey Snake Fight, closely followed by some surf/spy guitar work and horns that descend imposingly upon the soundscape. Immediately the realisation that the players in The Bombay Royale are masters of design occurs – they deftly craft a sound that is scene setting and engaging from the onset. Title track You Me Bullets Love continues with reverb soaked surf guitar and the dual vocals of Parvyn Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya are in perfect compliment. Sote Sote Adhi Raat is a psychedelic space freak-out that works traditional tambla into the equation while Perfect Plan is stealthy in its delivery and full of sneaky rhythms.
This more modern sounding number features Singh singing in English over a mash-up of wah heavy funk guitar and trailing horns – crazy in description but completely feasible and successful in execution. Bobbywood is a return to more old world and traditional Bollywood sounds and Mahindra Death Ride whisks you away into a world of wonder and intrigue. The horns in particular drive this track; sonically depicting the peaks and troughs of an imagined plot line – one can only ponder the wild storyline and visual that would accompany.
The Bombay Royale are experienced musicians; who play with soul, flair and panache. Their debut album You Me Bullets Love brings a style of music out of the catacombs, dusts it off, dresses it up and readies it for the dance floor. Lose yourself in the mystery, theatrics and adventure of the Bombay Royale.
BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD
Best Track: Mahindra Death Ride
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Traditional Bollywood Movie Soundtracks from the ’60s and ’70s, LINK WRAY, ROYAL CROWN REVUE, QUINCY JONES, JAMES BROWN
In A Word: Vivid
