If you’ve caught either of the two most recent Bongolian singles, Burning Man Of Calcutta or Master Blaster Tendulkar, you’ll know that, tonight, Matthew, The Bongolian is stylistically informed by an era that began some time in 1967 when The Beatles began to take an interest in transcendental meditation, shortly before heading to a certain subcontinent to join Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Such was the Eastern promise of those two singles in fact, that they created expectations that Indian Summer Of Love was going to be an epic. And the monkey is happy to report that those expectations have, if anything, been exceeded. The LP is a gloriously psychedelic, richly-coloured, paisley-patterned funk, mod-rock and library-music drenched psych-out.
The two aforementioned lead singles actually form a blistering double-headed opening to the LP – a musical gateway which is endlessly evocative. Old hippie mountain trails, tea in tropical gardens, steaming jungles and secret, unspeakable cults are all called to mind – not to mention stoned afternoons in 60s Maida Vale flats and trippy weekends on Glastonbury Tor. Everywhere you look (or rather listen) there are sinuous flutes, wild Moog solos, sitar melodies, geetar fuzz and a rhythmic omnipresence from the never less than tough drums and frequent percussion wig-outs. Well, The Bongolian is also a nickname of multi-instrumentalist bandleader, Nasser Bouzida. The third cut – possibly the monkey’s favourite on this is the sinuous and funky (not to mention hopefully future 45 single) Nehru Jacket Required and a case in point re. the percussion, getting stripped back to a juggernaut of a bongo and drums breakdown on the bridge. The title track meanwhile is one of several that makes heavy use of the flute and liable to charm cobra-like movements out of any listener. Elsewhere keep your ears peeled for the blaring fuzz and hypnotic drum and bongo breaks madness of Acid Test Angel, the squelchy uptempo sitar funk of Mucha Mushroom Man and the sweeping grandeur of closer Farewell To Varanasi.
(Out now on Blow Up Records)