Issue 151

The Bees' Knees

29th January 2007

Following in the acclaim-strewn trail of 2005's Free the Bees, the wait for the next record from The Bees has been a lengthy one as the Isle of Wight band set about constructing their own studio in their basement. In what has been coined as a 'wood-lined sonic laboratory', the six-piece have allowed third album Octopus to evolve into a product that showcases a more relaxed, refined version of the band who hit the Top 30 two years ago.

The lengths that The Bees have gone to in order to ensure that Octopus proves successful without compromising their own artistic vision are phenomenal. Few bands would embrace the idea of recovering a 1960s mixing desk from a Swedish radio station, but it merely adds to the enchanting myth that The Bees are looking to create.

In preparation to the launch of Octopus, the band are embarking on a modest tour that samples the seaside delights of Skegness, Scarborough and, of course, our very own Swansea. Perhaps it's the engrained delight of life in the picturesque Victorian resort of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight that lures The Bees towards the sound of waves amidst the usual ports of call - London, Birmingham, Manchester - that comprise the latter half of their forthcoming tour.

So what will The Bees bring to Sin City on 20 February? From the outset it will be something set apart from many of their contemporaries. The Bees sound heralds back to the breezy, liberal stylings of The Beatles, Byrds and Velvet Underground. But don't confuse yourself into thinking The Bees are mere Sixties-revivalists! This is contemporary indie-pop at its magical best. Besides, how could it be revivalist if you're a child of the 1980s and never heard anything like it before? Whilst some bands may lay on pretension to feed a sensationalist persona to the music press, The Bees are, and never have been about that. They engage and impress, excite and enthuse, and that is why you couldn't DARE to miss this opportunity.

Octopus is an album that should catapult back in to mainstream consciousness, so why forfeit the opportunity to sneak a peek at the final product almost a month early?

First single to be made available from the album, Left Foot Stepdown, albeit in download form, is an invitingly haunting dub rhythm that points to just one of many cultural references that The Bees fuse together in an alchemical haze. Following on from that, and touted as a next single, Listening Man latches onto Southern Soul inspiration, which leads to a mature, soothing composition.

Elsewhere, Who Cares What The Question Is is an awesome flex of Merseybeat might, that would sit snugly on a 1960s setlist at the Cavern Club. Alongside the new material, feel free to expect the usual smattering of backcatalogue hits such as Wash In The Rain, Chicken Payback and their cover version of Os Mutantes' 1968 single, A Minha Menina.

Support is provided by soloist Candie Payne, who displays a similar ethic to The Bees' approach in feeding off Sixties soul influences to produce a smooth, modern package that highlights a sultry vocal style, and one that will be sure to get her noticed on a wider stage during 2007.

There are inevitably those bands who allow themselves to become complacent, and content to roll out record after record of material that starts to follow a formulaic trend. But elsewhere there are others prepared to reform and refine; to strive towards a model of perfection, and it is those bands who prove to be something special. The Bees are one of those bands.

Pete Hayman