You Me Bullets Love by THE BOMBAY ROYALE

It’s a little disappointing to discover that these wonderful clashes of Bollywood 70′s funk are not some fantastic lost archive; but rather the modern conjuring of Melbourne band leader Andy Williamson and his 11 piece band – with Hindi-Bengali lyricists and vocalists Parvyn Kaur Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya. But when you read, their not-so-surprising claim to be “Melbourne’s only band dedicated to the music of vintage Indian cinema – fused with western psychedelic influences and ’70s funk” you’ve got to smile as you’re let in on the wry kitch humour.

Simply put, if Tarantino got to direct a James Bond film in Bollywood – this’d be the soundtrack. It’s that awesome.

It’d be a fair criticism that there’s not that much divergence from their rather singular reason d’etre – but it’s unique enough to suffer this gladly and enjoyably. Tijuanan brass stabs; guitars funk and shit shimmers – it’s actually great.

The title track is like a 60s spy film set at the Mantra Surf Club; Sote Sote Adhi Raat is sci-fi-tastic as Parvyn Kaur Singh’s vocals slink across a Space 1999 sky; 70s funk provides the satin sheets for which the Mysterious Lady to sprawl across, in the English sung Perfect Plan. Mahindra Death Ride is like a comedic car chase with death defying stunts while the penultiamte Dacoit’s Choice has a moogy-bass line intro that sets to challenge Fred Wesley’s Blow Your Head for sheer sexy-awesomeness and is a particular favorite of mine on the record.
- review by Andrew Tidball

6.7 / 10