A Band Of Bees reviewed
A Band Of Bees
Octopus
(Astralwerks)
Generally when a record sounds “timeless” it really isn’t. “Classic” is a better word. Certain albums, take Octopus for instance, push the issue even further.
Timeless, classic, averse to modernity, Isle Of Wight-based sextet A Band Of Bees (just The Bees in the U.K.) bang out another rack of Kinks and “White Album” nuggets on their third album. The old codgers among us might make the “John Lennon had more talent in his fingernails” argument, but The Bees respect the era they pilfer enough to at least create their own hooks and melodies. Trouble begins, however, when Octopus‘ sound takes over and you trick yourself into believing you have in fact heard this before. Even if it’s open-field, hippie jams like “Love In The Harbour,” Scouser reggae in “Left Foot Stepdown,” or a mixture of post-Beatles McCartney and Free (“Better Days”), the album’s feel keeps you away from simply relaxing and enjoying it. And one gets the sense the latter’s all The Bees want: Some bands want fame or money, some aim for “art,” yet others just want to make albums they’d listen to, and think maybe you’d like to as well. (It does help they’re not dogshit at it.)
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to stream “Left Foot Stepdown.”
