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SINGLE: I Never // ARTIST: The Bamboos feat. Dan Sultan
They say reinvention is the mother of all necessity, and for Aussie funk/soul collective The Bamboos they have embraced the notion and then some with a divine reworking of their 2012 single 'I Never', teaming up with the incomparable Dan Sultan.
Turning the concept of a "best of" album on its head, Melbourne musos The Bamboos instead decided to turn a sense of nostalgia into an opus of reinvention, announcing a brand new album 'By Special Arrangement' due out in August. Featuring orchestral reworkings of some of their best loved songs, plus two cover versions, 'By Special Arrangement celebrates the innovative, dynamic spirit at the heart of The Bamboos, and 'I Never' featuring Dan Sultan is a first taste at the total lush-fest that awaits for us in August.
What actually happens when one of our country's most dynamic soul/funk acts team up with the lilting vocal stylings of Mr Dan Sultan? Well the result is, quite frankly, a spine-tingling ballad in the shape of 'I Never'. Dropping officially yesterday, the track features an orchestral adaptation of the original 2012 version that featured a boppier soul, with Daniel Merriweather on lead vocals. And while the original certainly hoisted its own in the charm department, the reworked version of 'I Never' soars into intimate and celestial stratospheres, as Sultan channels Skyfall-era Adele with his soaring, husky timbres over sparse yet sparkling instrumentation.
Of the collaboration between Sultan and The Bamboos, Lance Ferguson (Guitarist/Band Leader - The Bamboos) says, “I have wanted to work with Dan Sultan for many years now. There is definitely something unique about his artistry and I regard him as one of this country’s finest vocalists. His take on ‘I Never’ is astonishing - there’s an emotional intensity to the performance that totally floored everyone listening in the studio that day.”
It's pretty clear we are in for something truly special when 'By Special Arrangement' comes a-calling in August. But for the time being, go wrap your ears around the dreamy delight that is 'I Never' - grab a listen below.
'BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT' IS DUE OUT AUGUST 2ND, FEATURING ORCHESTRAL REINVENTIONS OF SOME OF THEIR MOST BELOVED SONGS, AND TWO COVER VERSIONS. THEY'LL ALSO BE LAUNCHING THE ALBUM WITH A SPECIAL CONCERT IN MELBOURNE ON AUGUST 15TH.
FOR ALL INFO, HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER