What a day, eh, Milhouse? The sun is out, birds are singing, bees are trying to have sex with them -- as is my understanding...-Bart Simpson
Bees and the Birds. Yes, the band's moniker is derived from that popular yet mysterious euphemism for sex, but unlike young Bart, there's no chance that listeners will mistake what is actually going on here. The band plays an irresistible blend of indie pop and folk (slide guitar and banjo included) that features a delightful blend of male and female vocals. The result is a three-song EP that is the most infectious debut I've heard yet this year.
The opening track, "Birds and Da Bees" is an upbeat number that is introduced with a youthful yelp, but its content is anything but childlike. Vocalists Josh Craft and Chrissy Tashjian pull out some wonderfully playful harmonies as they discuss action between the sheets, creating a unique contrast between the poppy melody and the suggestive lyrical content. The second track shows the band's bluegrass influences in the bouncy bassline and Tashjian's harmonies, but it also shows the group making a slight youthful misstep. Though it is still a solid track, it does not sound quite as tight or complete as the other two tunes on the EP. The band certainly recovers with the third and final song on the disc, "Waiting for a Call." This track is arguably the best on the EP, and undoubtedly the most charming. It's a slower number than the rest in which Craft and Tashjian trade vocal lines and the latter, in particular, really shows off her vocal power as she belts out her lines.
This three-song EP truly invokes the band's name in its execution, and as a first-time effort can be likened roughly to someone's first time in bed. It begins with a rush of excitement and undeniable appeal, and though there is a brief period where it's a bit shaky, it concludes with such a bang that those short seven-and-a-half minutes will have left you restless in waiting for your next experience.