Got Bamboo?

Members of Tufts oldest a capella group have teamed up again to offer an oustanding compilation of a capella tunes. In the group's latest album, Bamboo, the songs capture the Mates distinctive sound, yet bear a passionate allegiance to the original versions. The members of Tufts oldest coed a capella group have imbued their renditions with harmonious energy and an amazing blend. And at its very best, the album remains delightful and solid, and will likely reap the many awards bestowed on the group's previous compilation, Juice.

Bamboo _ named after a secret incident that occurred on the Mates Spring Break 2001 tour _ displays an earnest openness outside purely technical elements.

According to the Amalgamates, the album does not contain "slights of hand, or fancy tricks." Every aspect of Bamboo, they say, comes "from the hearts and voices" of each member.

The album not only offers the listener a wholly vocal experience, but it suggests that a pleasurable listening experience results not from technical twitches, but from direct connections with each performer. Indeed, the soloists are strong across the board. A warm combination of sounds makes the Amalgamates' female block especially noteworthy.

The album begins with a potent interpretation of "Killing Me Softly," as performed by the Fugees. Becky Rubin's controlled but powerful vocal display _perhaps the best in the group_ rivals that of Lauryn Hill's. Rubin's cover of "I'm Your Baby Tonight" on their last album won the group an award for best mixed college soloist from the Recorded A Cappella Review Board in 2001.

Bamboo also contains equally complex and textured displays: from Brian Quirk's cool and tender interpretation of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love," to the playful version of DJ Jazzy Jeff's and the Fresh Prince's "Summertime."

Other noteworthy performances include Nathalie Wade's passionate "Why," Colin Simson's thoughtful "3 Libras," Maggie Beiser's "I Wanna Be With You," and Adam Pulver's remarkable rendition of "Don't Dream It's Over."

The album does contain a few misses, mainly in which some soloists fail to communicate the force of the musical arrangement. Yet in those instances, the Amalgamates expertly employ the vocal lure of the background singers. In "Get Gone," Jessica Sutton's solo is not as stunningly deep as Fiona Apple's original version. But with Lisa Jacobs' arrangement, the soloist suddenly seems to be stepping gingerly from lyric to lyric.

The Amalgamates worked with several sound engineers in creating Bamboo. Senior Lisa Jacobs and Mate alum Eric Tjonahen (LA'02) worked with the engineers on mixing and some technical aspects. Jacobs and Tjonahen produced the album along with Adam Pulver.

The final product clearly emphasizes the nuances of each of the performers. Interestingly enough, all of the solos seem to arise in collaboration with the arrangements of each song. The vocal power of each Amalgamate member, and the melodious, sincere, and heartfelt energy of Bamboo make this a great album.