Wanderlust

The first part of Wanderlust gets you ready to peg Bangalore as an instrumental funk trio, offering rather laid-back songs with some spiky guitar work and angular rhythms. Soon, however, some other influences become audible, "Samba Rodeo" sounding a bit like country-influenced 1980 Afro-pop in both its merry beats and its guitar textures. "(Come On) Khamaj" is a little akin to a generations-down-the-line descendant of the Yardbirds' raga-folk-rock instrumental "White Summer"; "Lucky Strike" hits a noirish jazzy walking beat with its spooky, reverbed guitar chords; and more echoes of raga are heard in "Kafi Nation." For those with deep record collections, the acoustic-flavored raga-folk of "Rhythm & Angels" might recall some of the furthest-out work of '60s guitar virtuoso Davy Graham. There aren't any riffs or melodies worth writing home about, however, which instrumental recordings of this sort need to stand out, but the level of diverse skill is high and the attitude amiable.