It's a solid sort of swinging number, and definitely showcases by comparison just how on-target the Bombay Royale's original songs are. 'Jaan Pehechan Ho' is a cover of a popular Hindi song, first performed by Mohammad Rafti for the 1965 film Gumnaam. It flows right into the title track, 'You Me Bullets Love', a fast-paced song with both Singh and Bhattacharya singing in tandem. 'Monkey Fight Snake' is a sensational instrumental prologue, combining electric guitars and a heavy brass section for a tune pulled straight out of the early 1970s. It really sells what the album is about: Indian pop music, self-awareness and fun. The Bollywood influence extends to the album's charming cover, styled as an Indian film soundtrack, and is typical of the sort of performative style the band employs. You Me Bullets Love was the Bombay Royale's debut album, released back in 2012. Their songs have popped up in the videogame Far Cry 4 and the television series Better Call Saul. They have played at WOMAD and at the Kennedy Centre.

They have found a lot of success too, playing not just Melbourne but the USA and Europe. In short they are a near-perfect multicultural party band, well-suited to be lined up at the next festive gathering before jumping to the dance floor. They blend Indian popular music with funk, surf rock and even elements of disco. The nine musicians are each clothed in a different weird fancy dress - one a ship captain, one a masked bandit, and so on. Lead singers Parvyn Kaur Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya front the Bombay Royale with a surfeit of energy and personality. They really are a band you need to see live, given they not only sing songs but enthusiastically perform them. They rapidly segued into writing and performing original songs, albeit ones overwhelmingly inspired by the kind of popular Indian music they were covering. The group was formed in 2010 by musician Andy Williamson, and it was initially devoted to performing covers of songs from 1960s and 1970s Bollywood movies.

The Bombay Royale is an 11-piece independent pop group based in Melbourne, Australia.

Bombay royale review