BEES - Octopus

From rags to riches, and… then where?

Or rather: from the backyard to Abbey Road, to the home studio – but with a wealth of experience and priceless cunning picked up along the way. This, in a nutshell, could be the story of Bees, a band of longhairs who took their first steps as a duo (the suspects' names: Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher) on their native Isle of Wight, from whose shores emerged "Sunshine Hit Me" in 2001, an album built on pop and exotic influences, perhaps a little green, but with a certain impact. After that relative success came the jackpot: Virgin footed the bill for the recording sessions of the second album, and the lads chose to record it at Emi's studios, arguably the most famous in the world. The result is a full immersion in the Sixties, both in sound and songwriting. "Free The Bees", released in 2004, is an all-round pop record, in our view a splendid one, but it never got the recognition it deserved – aside from a couple of tracks used in advertising (which were probably what kept the lads in a minimum wage over the following years).

Thesis and antithesis: the synthesis, hot off the press, of Bees' first two records is titled "Octopus" and picks up the sonic legacy of its predecessor, applying it to a format that brings pop back in line with soul/almost-black moods and sounds – the original duo has by now grown into a proper rock band, horn section included.

The result of this third step in Bees' career is solid, but unfortunately not as thrilling as the second nor as multifaceted as the first. The reason, we believe, is quite simple: the quality of the songs is more average than outstanding, the focus often falls more on the groove than on the songwriting, and the album's overall tone suffers for it. Fortunately, the band's command of recording technique is now fully in place, and part of the pleasure of listening to "Octopus" lies in its old-school approach to sound – a legacy, no doubt, of the Abbey Road experience.

As mentioned, compared to the Bees of old, the sixties component is toned down while the blacker side is pushed forward (even though the band members are all more or less longhaired Caucasians): the horn-driven slow-burner "Listening Man" is a perfect example, as is the single "Left Foot Stepdown", as rhythmic and urgent as a Stereo MC's cover performed by a freakbeat band; or again "Got To Let Go", smooth and measured.

It goes without saying that the most convincing moments are those in the style that made the fortune, to our ears, of "Free The Bees": the little songs, cheerfully spiced with classic pop, arranged with unmatched taste and a full, rounded sound: "Who Cares what the Question is", a marching tune worthy of the best Ringo Starr; "Love in the Harbour" and "Hot One", with their Brian Wilson-style vocal interplay; "End of the Street", a thoroughly enjoyable closer.

Weighing up the pros and cons listed above, the verdict is a solid pass with honors: the form is very good, there's some hesitation on the content, resulting in a record that's solid but not as excellent as its predecessors. But since this isn't a case of a "stylistic turn" or a risky gamble, we can still hope that Bees go back to writing a handful of flawless songs and have us hailing a miracle again, as happened no more than three years ago.

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19/03/2007