A BAND OF BEES - FREE THE BEES published August 2006, Zero Magazine

This is a weird dilemma. Imagine that you are so sick of all this nostalgia music: Interpol with 80's homage and Wolfmother with their enormously obvious nod to Led Zeppelin. Then you hear a band like Band of Bees that is just so colorful and swanky but is nothing more than a time warp to the 60's. The 60's! Who does that? And those who might take on this sound certainly don't make it definitive of their style. But these guys…

This album dives right in. It makes no attempts to take an era-specific genre and add modern twists to it. Taking something old and innovating on it is what truly makes it interesting and it is obvious that this is not the philosophy of The Bees. Bands like these are normally only good for parties, clubs, or any live venue just for the vintage atmosphere. But this band does it so well, purely and pristinely. It is truly as if someone could hand you this record and tell you these guys hit their peek in '65 and burnt out by '70 and you would take the bait. Therein lies the dilemma. Even if you are so tired of the nostalgia music, you might just love this band all the same. Try not to fight it.