A few months ago I attended the Big Nui festival in Waitoki. I had a couple of reasons for going, namely Mice On Stilts and The Symphony of Screams, but I enjoyed many of the local bands, including Bond Street Bridge. That day they were a stripped down version with just Sam Prebble (vocals, guitar, violin, loops) and Brendan Turner (upright bass, backing vocals). I was so impressed that as soon as they finished I was up to the stall holding out a $20 note asking for the new album. Sam and Brendan explained that they had been touring the album (which is a concept based on the stories of Scott and Shackleton) as a duo, which allowed them to perform in places that wouldn’t necessarily have been viable for the full band, as the album itself also features Dylan Storey (guitar, vocals), Nina McSweeney (vocals) and Logan Compain (drums). I don’t know where the band name came from, but apparently the first two albums by Bond Street Bridge are actually solo works by Sam, and he only pulled a full band together in 2012 with this album being released in 2013.
It is hard to convey the beauty, and at times starkness, of this incredible album. I have been trying hard to think of who to compare it to, but all I can come up with is that at times they definitely have a Richard Thompson feel about them, which can’t be a bad thing at all. It did take me a while to get into this just because it is so different to the performance I saw, but given that this contains a lot of male/female duets and a band then probably that isn’t too surprising. Playing this in the evening with just a glass of Bombay gin for company is the perfect way to end the day, as I found myself being transfixed by the stories being told, with wonderful music and performances that really take me to a much colder world than the one I live in. I keep discovering the most amazing bands in this country, and Bond Street Bridge are one of the very finest. I just need to buy the other album now! Released on Banished From The Universe Records, visit www.bondstreetbridge.com for more info.
