Artist: Bees, The
Label: Astral Werks
Release: 2007
With their third album Octopus, The Bees carry on their odyssey through mainly British music history, from The Beatles to The Specials with a hefty dose of R & B in between. And if it sometimes sounds like Al Green or some similar soul artist is blasting out of the speakers, that’s no accident. The Bees, a.k.a. Band Of The Bees as they’re known in the US, are a totally unbounded musical unit that draws its inspiration both from the artists and bands mentioned above and from everyday life, like standing in line at the shop waiting for a pack of cigarettes or whatever. If there’s a line they really won’t cross anytime soon, it’s most likely just a temporal one, because the sound this motley crew makes doesn’t sound modern in the slightest. Or well, it does, in a way: their sound is extremely retro, and being retro is, after all, extremely popular lately. So are The Bees seriously cool? Absolutely, it’s just that the wider public hasn’t caught on yet, since they’re sailing in waters a bit too deep for mass taste. But their time will probably come too, when they get washed up onto some shore. All we can hope is that it won’t come at the cost of quality, which usually draws the short straw.
The octopus is, then, more than suitable for anyone unfamiliar with their music. In fact, it’s exactly as suitable as their previous album Free The Bees (2004) or their debut Sunshine Hit Me (2002), since they don’t stray far from the basic formula. They put more emphasis on the inner structure of the songs, which is usually a downright schizophrenic mix of various little bits that add up to a remarkable whole. Whether they’re leaning closer to sixties psychedelia, seventies funk, country mixed with reggae, or the timelessness of easy jazz at any given moment, they always focus on the substance itself, which keeps evolving and changing.
Even if Octopus may not be the band’s greatest achievement, it’s perfect both for every day and for kicking off a colorful weekend. And for winding it down. The Bees are consistently upbeat and never forced, and totally carefree, which isn’t so retro these days.
Lineup
Paul Butler – Vocals, guitar, piano, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, mandolin, drums, percussion
Aaron Fletcher – Bass, guitar, piano, drums, percussion, vocals
Kris Birkin – Guitar, vocals
Michael Clevitt – Drums, bass, percussion, Hammond organ, vocals
Tim Parkin – Trumpet, trombone, keyboards, bass, Rhodes, vocals
Warren Hampshire – Keyboards, Hammond organ, celesta, acoustic guitar, percussion, jaw harp, vocals
Production
Paul Butler
Tracklist
01.Who Cares What The Question Is?
02.Love In The Harbour
03.Left Foot Stepdown
04.Got To Let Go
05.Listening Man
06.Stand
07.(This Is For The)Better Days
08.The Ocularist
09.Hot One!
10.End Of The Street
Album length: 39:25
