Localized Local CD roundup: Mouthful Of Bees

Mouthful Of Bees, Mouthful Of Bees
(Afternoon Records)

Mouthful Of Bees became a local buzz band, appropriately enough, on the strength of its poppy, slightly psychedelic 2007 debut, The End. Sophomore records always raise the ante, requiring a band to prove it didn't use up all its good ideas on the first try, but the Bees' new self-titled album more than meets that challenge, giving a delicate polish to The End's craftsmanship. Mouthful Of Bees is a downbeat, nighttime record that revels in intimacy—the screech of feedback has been traded for acoustic strings. The addition of keyboardists Simon Larson and Patrick Swanson has made the band even more capable of handling complex, deft, and subtle arrangements. Taking advantage of the expanded possibilities offered by indie-rock bands like Tortoise, the Bees appropriate from whatever genres suit their needs, blending folk-rock, twee-pop, and the machismo of grunge and punk into a kaleidoscope of sound. They add piano (“Maybe When We're Better Friends”), cheap keyboard pre-set tones and beats (“Del Boca Vista”), backwards vocals (“Thomas Aquinas”), glockenspiel (“John Blackthorne”), and even sounds from a soap opera (the epic 9-minute album-crowner “Rory Is Off-Limits”). Despite the terrible cover art, Mouthful Of Bees' refinement results in a fine album.
Grade: B+

Listen to exclusive streaming audio of "Enhance Your Starry Night" from Mouthful Of Bees: