The Bees - Octopus Universal

By Emily Kendrick

From the Wight Isle that time forgot come The Bees with a release so steeped in sliding guitar and shuffle rhythms that it feels too like the 60s blues revival rerun. Love In the Harbour could just as easily be The Byrds, with foreground swooning harmonies against chugging harmonica.

Previous single Left Foot Stepdown references The Specials’ Ghost Town with its trombone refrains and spooky vocals, but the chorus break is so perfectly mundane that it charms. The Bees are a band that somehow lack the oomph to truly own their influences, varied though they appear. Laid back with a tinge of reggae Listening Man develops into a fresh-sounding love song that would not feel misplaced in your festival attire. The patchwork style of this album is ambitious and not unfriendly. There is brilliant music, no doubt slow burning creativity, but a band identity is struggling to break out.