The Bees - Sunshine Hit Me
2002 We Love You
This album was The Bees first album, and was released in 2002. Two close friends, Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher performed and produced the album in their shed full of home recording equipment somewhere on the Isle Of Wight...
The album is generally laid back and chilled, but definatly manages to grab your attention. Each track flows well into the next and the whole album has a brilliant summery vibe to it. After first listening to the whole thing the whole way through it made me want to get down the beach, lie in the sun and listen to it all day. It really does make you feel good, a good album to play when you get up and can see the sun shining through your curtains.
One thing the bees like to include in their music is strange percussion. They use things like cowbells often but if you listen to the background in songs you will hear tons of odd sounds, some of which sound like pots and pans and someone tapping along on a kitchen sink.
The whole record is a blend of styles. These include pop, jazz, funk, reggae, folk, indie etc. They draw ideas from everything while still managing to keep it original sounding. The music also sounds very relaxed and honest and is catchy and lively. In most of the songs on the album there is always a lot of layers and different melodies however they still manage to create space for the record to breathe. The production of the album does have an old 60s vibe to it which definatly aids the music because it does sound very 60s in some places. Think beach-boys and the beatles stylee. This record even includes a cover; A Minha Menina(originally by Os Mutantes, a brazilian band from the 60s).
Highlights of the album:
- Clever pop fusing styles together
- Melodies that stay lodged in your head for weeks
- Something that will make you forget your troubles
- Something that will make you think
- Clever song writing and well thought out instrumental parts
- A cover of an Os Mutantes song!
- Summer in a CD
- Amazing cd box art
- Isle Of Wight rocks (and no i don't live there)
- All songs are gold, no bad track.
Tracks to look out for:
- Punchbag
- Angryman
- No Trophy
- Sunshine
- A Minha Menina
- This Town
- Sweet Like A Champion
- Sky Holds The Sun
The rest of the tracks are as good as those, I just didn't want to put the whole track list down :P Each track on the album seems to have been cleverly written to perfection - there isn't a bad song at all!
Overall, Sunshine Hit Me is a brilliant slice of pop waiting to be discovered. Its not just another easy listening album as it may seem, this record grabs your attention from start to finish and will keep you mesmerized many plays later. I give this album a rating of four out of five.
An excellent debut from The Bees.
. i will have to check these guys out; they sound lovely. 
