The Bees live At Cargo. Monday 14th June 2004

The Bees produce lush, downtempo arrangements, perfect for the late summer sunset vibe. Their debut Album ‘Sunshine Hit Me’ was surprisingly recorded in a shed on the Isle of White, crammed with vintage tape machines and speakers. Surrounded by cows (who enjoyed the music apparently), the duo composed a set of beautiful tunes, fusing South American melodies with their own brand of psychedelic funk. Tracks such as ‘Punchbag’ and ‘Hold up the Sun’ attracted a Mercury Prize nomination and their subsequent live shows built up a considerable fanbase.

So, to Cargo for the launch of their sophomore album ‘Free the Bees’. The 2-year gap is testament to the band’s desire to create a new sound and they were not about to be rushed into replicating the first album or fall into the music industry hype machine. They filled this time with a busy tour schedule and recorded the new tracks at Abbey Road Studios, a slight step up from a garden shed then... The original duo are joined by Kris Birkin (guitar), Michael Clevett (drums), Tim Parkin trumpet) and Warren Hampshire (Hammond), who have played with Paul and Arron on many occasions during the last few years.

The lead single ‘Wash in the Rain’ sets the tone for the new album; you sense they are happy to defy categorisation, inhabiting their own sonic landscape. As The Bees take to the stage and work through the new tracks you get the feeling they are very comfortable with their sound and with each other. Paul Butler’s distinctive vocals cut through the Hammond and guitar tones; his voice has the sound of sandpaper dipped in honey and holds your attention throughout the set. Arron Fletcher’s lyrics add a healthy dose of fantasy to the tracks, his desire is for the audience to ‘relate to it and then dream about it’ and this rings true as the band seem in a dream themselves on stage, as if they are falling in love with music for the first time. Thankfully, The Bees do not take themselves too seriously and you get the feeling they had a great deal of fun making this album.

Towards the end of the set the band frequently change instruments, which in turn affected the sound of the songs. This technique may have not been used on the recorded versions but shows they are very comfortable on stage.

The highlight of the evening was ‘I Love You’, a blissed-out, downtempo serenade. This was the one track that really had the complete attention of the audience throughout and cemented Paul Butler’s reputation as a singer of true versatility. The Bees are not for everyone, but those looking for a truly unique band in this age of sound-alike groups churning out radio friendly indy-pop will find solace in this group.

The Bees are touring the summer festival circuit this year putting in a star performance on the Other stage at Glastonbury (they debuted there in the new tent in 2002) and are set to perform on the Music Choice stage at V2004 in Chelmsford on August 21st and Staffordshire on August 22nd.

the bands official site

Review by Yeshen Venema for Rawbeats.com