Bambara – ‘Birthmarks’ album review: a noir-soaked take on cinematic punk
THE SKINNY: If the light of discovery shines brightest of a virgin meadow than a beaten path, what’s left for the midnight hours of a rain-soaked alleyway? This album exists firmly in those murky depths of urban turmoil, and Bambara create a post-punk soundtrack for conventional images of a noir thriller with an appropriate sense of drama. Reid Bateh plunges the band into a world of unrelenting darkness with his baritone vocals—making for a compelling narrator, especially when paired with fleeting moments of instrumental experimentation.
The record begins with a dramatic crawl, with ‘Hiss’ placing its clenched fist down onto the asphalt with aggressive drama to begin the animalistic prowl that will take place throughout. It’s an intriguing and ominous start to the record and hints at the exciting exploration of an expanse that will reveal itself fleetingly throughout.
‘Holy Bones’ and ‘Elena’s Dream’ build on that idea to the most exciting effect in the middle section of the record. Using patient instrumental experimentation to fuse noir-jazz with alt-rock ballad sensibilities, they flirt seamlessly between the ethereal and intense, foregrounding Bateh’s compelling voice to the utmost effect. Sitting behind that is a rhythm section that provides an appropriately dark and brooding backdrop that lends the entire record’s animalistic disposition.
But when the New York three-piece veer away from that and slip into mid-tempo punk rock is when their intrigue gets somewhat lost. Taking interesting lyrical cues from Southern Gothic references, the band’s ability to weave narrative with sonic character is an attribute many would love to showcase and the momentum of it’s journey gets halted by jarring and off-tempo genre switches.
For fans of: Robert Pattinson as The Batman and sipping Whisky on the rocks without liking it.
A concluding comment from David Fincher: “I’ve just thought of a sequel idea for Seven. Let’s call it Eight.”
Birthmarks track by track:
Release date: March 14th | Producer: Graham Sutton | Label: Bella Union
‘Hiss’: Like the opening of a noir thriller, this gloomy track is ominous and haunting. After Reid Bateh’s vocals crawl up from the damp floor at the start, the rhythm section gets the wheels of the entire record turning. Feels like a reasonably well-executed alt-noir. [3.5/5]
‘Letters From Sing Sing’: A more energetic track that ramps up the rhythm section from ‘Hiss’ to turn a prowling crawl into a cathartic run. Bateh’s vocal performance teases the excitement but ultimately gets bogged down in pretty average-sounding vocal melodies in the chorus. [3/5]
‘Face Of Love’: A change of melodic tact brings 80s-inspired synths and glittering piano flourishes to make the already dark palette more cinematic. The guest vocals, Midwife’s Madeline Johnston, cut through Bateh’s like a hot knife through butter and added an interesting dichotomy that would have been well explored elsewhere on the record. [3.5/5]
‘Pray To Me’: The continuation of piano flourishes in the introduction glimpse at something more interesting once again, but they’re swiftly interrupted by a relatively predictable chord progression. William Brookshire’s bass fights for the attention it deserves and desperately needs a more interesting melody with it. [2.5/5]
‘Holy Bones’: It’s time to breathe a sigh of relief as the band unshackle themselves from the confines of mid-tempo rock and use their nuances to full effect. Bateh’s baritone is clearly the band’s most unique asset, and finally, it’s being used to a more characterful effect with the help of a bass part that has richness, groove and horror at the same time. [3.5/5]
‘Elena’s Dream’: If this album was a movement, it started with a crawl, turned into a mid-pace jog, and now it’s in a drunken slumber. Of the three options, the latter is most definitely the most appealing. It’s dark, ethereal and completely hypnotic. It’s almost sad to treat this song as a mere interlude because the world it’s briefly advertising is of massive interest compared to the rest of the record. [4/5]
‘Because You Asked’: Undoubtedly grows into itself as it goes on. But ultimately while each of the individual elements of the song feel compelling in their own right, it feels like a confused finished product. I can’t decide if it’s a futuristic Nick Cave or a dive-bar karaoke knockoff. [3/5]
‘Dive Shrine’: There’s something animalistic about this entire record that doesn’t quite make sense until this track. It crystallised their rain-smacked aesthetic that feels appropriate for a Robert Pattinson Batman sequel where he stops fighting the mob and joins them for a night of underground debauchery. [4/5]
‘Smoke’: Their best execution of instrumental melody throughout the entire record. The flourishing piano parts are finally paired with a guitar melody that can compete and there’s a more nuanced use of space in between. [4/5]
‘Loretta’: It’s time to bring this cinematic pursuit to a close, and to Bambara’s credit, they do so by trying to bring closure to the opening’s track lyrical content. It flips the despondency of ‘Hiss’ to provide energy and fervour, ending the entire piece with a sense of tight-fisted frustration that ultimately feels somewhat confused. [2.5/5]
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