Bees, The - Octopus (Album)

That fabulous fusion six piece from the Isle on Wight, The Bees, led by Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, are back with their third album. 'Octopus' delivers some the best British music I’ve heard in awhile, while having a most appropriate moniker for such a multi-faceted band. After recording their second album, ”Free The Bees” at Abbey Road studios, and receiving nominations and mixed reviews, the Bees have returned to the familiar surrounds of home, recording Octopus in their new studio, The Steamroom, in their basement, and the living up to the promise of their first album, “Sunshine Hit Me” which was recorded in their shed.

It’s impossible to find a genre to stick on these guys. The Bees are still distinctively British, raising the obvious comparisons. Octopus is a tighter album than their last, a little less overtly experimental, while maintaining a wonderful complexity that never gets too busy. They are alt-pop, indie, Britpop, funky, rock, reggae, blues, folk, experimental, psychedelic, soulful, with even a little latin influence thrown in. Somehow it all works. You can dance, you can sway, you can sing along. You can sit in the corner and contemplate the meaning of life.

There are some glowing harmonies, particularly in the much feted “Listening Man” and “Left Foot Stepdown” which is both eerie and soothing at the same time. There are some groovy guitar threads, such as in “Who Cares What The Question Is?” with it’s gorgeously chunky guitar solo. There are some great bouncy horns, my favourite being the simple melodies in “Got To Let Go”.

On the whole, much of the album seems kind of light and airy, but there is enough rock at the bottom to keep it grounded and interesting. There is a relaxed vibe throughout, despite the diversity of the songs, that perhaps reflects the band maturing and really coming into their own. The Bees are a group that know what they want to do and how to do it, and we’re just lucky to be along for the ride.

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