Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This was a nice album, full of sunny chilled-out pop songs. Totally at odds with my mood today on a pretty crappy drizzly Tuesday. Still, I'd listen to it again / more of their stuff.
Just not for me. I was glad when it ended. The music was interesting enough but the vocals just didn't cut it.
Idk if yall remember my “indie music is really just slow music with mumbling” but this pretty much fits that exactly. Jokes aside, it’s an interesting album that I feel like would take a few listens to really get into it. It’s slow, kinda edgy shoegaze kinda music and I didn’t hate it.
THE LAST ALBUM I CLICK ON SOMEONE'S PAGE ENDS UP BEING MY ALBUM NOW?? So far, it's about the vibes. In some parts I hear psychedelia from the whimsical lyrics, some trip hop beats in the first song, some indie folk, and a Brazilian song I heard last year. The sound is scrambled but it's under one "atmospheric" vibe I guess.
Easy breezy. Good background music. Totally forgettable.
I loved this album. It is very chill, yet eclectic: psychedelia, Jamaican dub, reggae, indie, 1960s rock, and many more magical things, including a Brazilian song that I love, reimagined by The Bees. It's a very original and fun album. I listened to it several times in a row when I discovered it.
Really enjoyed, the lounge pop. Super stylish songwriting touching on a bunch of genres
I've never heard of them in my entire life. This is just pure background music, I have nothing else to say 2/5
Ik heb het hele album geluisterd en ik zou het omschrijven als niet al teveel zeggende muziek. Het is prima achtergrond muziek tijdens het werk, maar als toevoeging aan deze lijst vind ik het, hoewel het verre van het minst leuke album is, overbodig. 3 vreedzame sterren.
★★★½
Felt like a really laid back album. Felt like this was this type of sound that inspired dream pop (e.g parts of mag bay, lana del ray and clairo). Would be a nice album to just put in the background but main critique is that it feels like there’s nothing - like it just feels a bit empty. But looking at it in terms of the vibes ig that works if ambience is the main goal. Fav song: Angryman
My first thought upon starting this album was, "Oh, it sounds like proto- lofi hip hop." The main word I'd use to describe this album is: chill. I can hear elements of reggae and r&b, and the atmosphere around it all sounds relaxing. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Mysig men lite trist
Hits in the same way white castle does. Almost to the point of revolting while sober, but will send you to the fucking stratosphere high. Overall, a handful of diamonds in the rough but not enough to save the other frankly depressing songs.
Good stuff, something different. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Nope
The Good: We are getting washed in Vitamin D!!! The Bad: Don’t know if I need to get hit though.,.. The Ugly: All the terrible play on words we can come up with the bands name… nobody’s Bee’s knees What the fuck did I just listen to? Not that it was bad. Musically, it was actually pretty good. Again, what the fuck did I just listen to? Were the Bees searching for an identity and decided to just try out one too many styles? Also, Moog synth? Well… it was to be expected that Mr D picks any British band that has been nominated for a Mercury Prize… good for you. Listened, no need to listen again… 2* because I am pissed.
Some of the genre bending is actually super interesting to me. I just can’t get over the fact that it sounds like a group of college friends getting together doesn’t sound quite right.
Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: This is such an easy album to like. Warm, loose, slightly scruffy, and full of little grooves that feel like they just wandered in through an open window. It never sounds like it’s trying too hard. That’s probably the charm. A few tracks blur together a bit, but the overall mood is so pleasant that I didn’t really mind. Favorite Track: “A Minha Menina.” Ridiculously catchy. The rhythm just rolls, and the whole thing feels sunny without becoming cheesy.
The opening track was the best part of this album. The rest of the album gets a little bit weirder, but not bad by any means. I think it'll grow on me. 3.5/5
Neat
No private session used. I didn't not know The Bees, this was a pleasant listen on sunny afternoon. Nothing really stood out, though.
Low energy. Not bad sounding, but fairly boring.
Some nice sounds and harmonies. Lacking composition and memorable melodies.
overall a lot of the songs sounded the same but there were a few different ones that were interesting. it was very slow bops favs: angryman a minha menina this town
This is alright. Pleasant chill music, OK vocals. Not a whole lot stands out to me. Decent enough though. "Sunshine", "Lying in the Snow", and "Zia" are pretty great ones, actually. Chill downtempo, mostly instrumental. I'd like it more if all of it was like that. Overall pretty middling with some bright spots.
Here i waited with sharpened knives , and then this album turned out to be really likeable.
I've never heard of the Bees before now, but I listened all of their albums yesterday after being introduced to this one. Great!
I think I heard this in the coffee exchange playlist
i got hit by sunshine
Tää oli jotenkin samansielunen levy ko eilen, ehkä inasen asteen parempi. Toimi semiok salitreenin taustahälinänä. En kyllä enää tässä kohtaa muista mitään koko levystä, eli ihan vaaraton siis.
ihan jees! ei mitään erityisen mieleenpainuvaa mutta jammailtavaa.
Tää oli musta hyvä levy! Tarttuvia grooveja, hyviä koukkuja ja tosi monipuolinen kokonaisuus. Vähän pallottelin kolmosen ja nelosen välillä, mut kyl mä tänään meen tällä, sen verran maittoi kuiten!
Mä olin jotenki poikkeuksellisen nopee myyty avausraidasta ja musta tää vaikutti pian ihan tosi aliarvostetulta timantilta! 💎 NRE kuitenkin haihtui surullisen nopeaan muutaman biisin myötä ja kokonaisuutena jäi sitten lopulta suht keskinkertaiseksi 😕 Upee kansi ja jotain tosi kiinnostavaa, mut sit kuitenki ihan jepa vaan lopulta…
Tykkäsin tästä, tosi ajattoman kuuloista, eikä vuoden 2001. Mut tääki ois kaivannu jotain lisää. Vähän sellainen unohdettava, ja mietin miksi on tällä listalla, vaikka pidänkin.
Not impressed by this. 3
Decent but not sure why it's on this list
good, would listen to again but not shockingly good
Punchbag - 3 Angryman - 3 No trophy - 3 Binnel bay - 3 Sunshine - 3 A minha menina - 4 This town - 3 Sweet like a champion - 3 Lying in the snow - 3 Zia - 3 Sky holds the sun - 3
I liked this. I don’t think it’s enough to put it into 4 star territory, but the cover of A Minha Menina was a nice surprise - I’m familiar with and very much enjoy the original - and I also appreciated the chill keys throughout Zia.
Fun and surprising
Gick väl lite upp och ner, men jag känner mig generös så det blir fyra!
Aldrig hört talas om men var ju väldigt mysigt! Stark trea!
Blev positivt överraskad! Härligt till morgonprommen. Börjar bra, svängigt och lite neo souligt, blir lite halvbjäring mot slutet. Stark 3a som tangerar 4an!
Diggade! Skulle vilja lyssna en gång till. Tror på fyra!
Really good album! Enjoyed this one from start to finish.
Pretty groovy, I like it
Hmmm boring
I did not know what to expect with this album. I was pleasantly surprised with several tracks. The beginning of Sunshine is lovely which radiates Air's Moon Safari or Premiers Symptômes vibes. There are a few songs that do not fit the general theme but overall positive. Of course you can't get through a British rock album released after 1965 without the Beatles influence and this shines through on the track "This Town".
If you want to listen to a pleasant but completely forgettable album, you definitely have to listen to this one before you die.
Overall: 6/10 A nice, chill album to start my morning. Nothing blew me away and I don't think it's something that I'll come back to often, but I had a pleasant time with it. Fav Song: A Minha Menina
Quiet and a bit boring but not crazy bad
Musically quite o.k. but nothing remarkable on for me. And the vocals are not always my favour. I can easy imagine at least 1001 albums in this world that deserve more to be on this list.
Never heard this before today. Kind of easy to listen to alt popish kind of music. It's hard to describe but not bad to listen to. Plenty of variety, vocals and music are good. Music isn't anything amazing or mind blowing but it gets the job done. Might listen to this again if the mood strikes me but I wouldn't be disappointed if I never heard them again.
Another album that didn’t quite move the needle enough. I can see why in 2001 this might have been a bit different to the usual, but it doesn’t really push far enough for me. It’s a decent enough album, I think there’s been better mercury prize nominees. And sandwiched by the album’s two better songs “punchbag” and “Sky Holds The Sun” A middling album I’d rather give 2.5, but I have to go 3
Enjoyed it more than I thought, although it sounds like a lot of other things.. or is it other things that sound like this?
Not life-changing, and not an album I’d consider must-listen, but it’s still good and chill. An album that can be perfectly summed up in the word “nice”
5/10
I really liked the idea of what this album was going to be. It just didn't hit the way I wanted it too for me
This was a nice discovery. Not sure where they slot in: psych, jazz, pop? Original and never boring. Highlights were This Town, Zia, and Sky Holds the Sun.
Are these proficient musicians? Yes. Are these proficient musicians making some of the most boring music you’ve ever heard? Also yes.
Wow where has this band been. I’ve literally never heard of The Bees in my 30years on this earth. And I feel like I totally missed out. This album is sick! The cover is cool and feels very indie rock. The music itself is just so soothing and chill. The creativity and bold choices musically are off the chart! There’s a couple songs where they have this great melody with a really weird sound or sample and it brings so much life and personality to the album. I loved this album so much that I was able to over look how slow and chill the album was. Because at times there were a song or two that was alittle to slow for me. But this is another “I must have this album” type of experience where I’m now going to search for it endlessly until I find a solid copy cause this album is so solid and such a wonderful experience that I want to own it forever. Seriously don’t be put off by how slow it is, it will grow on you like crazy!
Meh
Qué sería esto? De donde son estos tipos? Raro el álbum. Algo de reggae, algo de indie, qué se yo. Álbum pasatista, no mucho más. 5/10
Kanske mer 4.5
They’re definitely not the Aas.
I mean it's okay
Sweet, but boring and absolutely does not belong on this list
This was really the perfect record to pack my bags to. Solid strong 3 for the vibes.
2026.07.21.
A moderately fun album, but to be honest I prefer a band with a settled sound to one that dabbles in a wide variety of styles. Chicken Payback boosts it from a 2 to a 3
It's ok, pretty forgettable and loses it's way toward the end
Cijenim što su pjesme veoma raznolike. Ali to stvara problem da mi se neke sviđaju a neke ne baš. Ukupni je dojam 50/50.
Tries its hand at sounding like a million different other artists, while excelling at none of them. Droney and relaxing, but really nothing special. Not even remotely in the “need to listen to before you die” category.
As someone completely unfamiliar with The Bees, I found myself enjoying this album more than I thought I would. It’s chill, mellow, and surprisingly well produced. Not my favorite, but still a nice listen. 3/5.
I liked the first half of the album, they reminded me of the eels a little bit. It started to drag in the second half of the album. It was still a reasonably easy listen.
Not sure when I would listen to this album. Mostly gave me a headache. I couldn't connect to the music or the singing.
Meh, though I'd rather listen to these guys than a couple of the other recent albums
This feels like background music to the slowest part of a movie or a video game. Felt like I was gonna fall asleep
It was ok. Some great lyrics though. Never heard of this group and doubt I’ll ever hear them again.
Mmm-blippity-blop o-kay. This album feels made for great background coffee shop music. You'll need 2-3 coffees to get through it, though; it felt too long. 3
Anemic. Like the entire album was recorded while on a couch.
Like lofi before it was lofi became a youtube essential. Baffled how this is on the list.
The Gamma Band Tracks 2 to 4 are kind of awful but if you hang in there it's sort of ok.
Schön. Nett. Hör ich aber wahrscheinlich nicht nochmal
Nice. Not positive how often I’ll be revisiting this, but it’s eclectic, short, and pretty groovy.
The definition of a nice little album
Sometimes a light shandy on a hot summer day hits the spot
Pleasant listen. Strong bedroom pop vibes. Doesn’t stand out to me overall
This 39 minute album felt like it was 90 minutes long. It was so boring and just devoid of anything I need to hear ever again
It's albums like this that I love to get during this project. I had no idea who this band was but am pleasantly surprised by it. They really won me over by the cover of Os Mutantes.
Det va fint, men forglemmelig.
estaria aqui se não fosse em inglês? não vai tomar no cu
a banda influente THE BEES e seu album de estreia INOVADOR vai tomar no cu dessa lista papo reto e aí do nada tem um cover dos mutantes com esse sotaque ingles filha da puta. vai tomar no CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU estragou meu dia de milhão.
Some of it was ok but I don't like the reggae and 60s sounds.
Wow what a great album. It’s so chill and happy, I’ve listened to it three times today, all for different occasions. First time to listen to it, second time to show a friend the funky ambience and harmonies, third as perfect background music for a conversation. Definitely getting this on CD
I was nervous about this one based on the top reviews but it was actually really nice. Lofi chill beats to study to vibes. Would re-listen.
This was a nice, quick album to have playing in the background. I did appreciate that they threw in sounds from other genres from time to time. I'd like to give this 3.5, but since nothing particularly stood out, I'll go down to a 3 instead
Just found it all quite dull.
I've for Free the Bees, which seems like a better album. This is fine, and overall there's nothing wrong with the band, but their a musical footnote not something anyone he's to listen to
Another Mercury Prize nominee on this list from the early 2000s. Back in the early 2000s maybe I could have gotten behind this, but today it's a tad too "indie generic" to be on this list of "timeless" classics. I feel Dimery and Co. did some hard gambles on newer music, but this has since been removed in recent editions. Good riddance. 3 stars only because the Os Mutantes cover was pretty cool, and some of the lengthy instrumental stuff with pianos and horns is nice at the end.
No conocía este grupo, pero veo que son los autores de la versión de "A minha menina" de Os mutantes que escuché hace poco en esta lista. Me guardo esa canción y también la primera Punchbag. Suenan bien y les pongo un 3 aunque sería otro 2,5 de esos que no pueden ponerse aquí.
rlly liked this
I very much like the music….the pace…..instrumentation…..rhythm… ..beat. I very much dislike everything about the vocals. They ruin the songs. I’m sure these guys thought they were very cool in 2002. They weren’t. And still aren’t.
The dreamy backing track is starting to annoy now where at first it seemed kind of interesting. The falsetto vocals are going to wear me out pretty quickly. These guys are British contemporaries of TV On The Radio. British bands and ska...a tale as old as the 1960s. The Beach Boys used the theremin on Pet Sounds and it seemed like an organic decision. The instrumentation on this album seems more like an affectation. This is agreeable enough...the kind of thing you might ask about if it was on in the background at a party, but not enough to remember the band name once you'd been told. This feels like the soundtrack to an indie movie. Not loving Zia as just a long instrumental. It's not bad...it is also not good. DeVotchKa and these guys probably get along great, contemporaries. I didn't realize these were the Chicken Payback guys until the Because You Listened To...songs started. I do like that song.
A pretty weak album from start to finish. 2 stars or D.
What a great find! Great songs with incredibly tasteful performances. My favorite of this exercise so far.
Não é um estilo de música que costumo apreciar muito. Possui algumas músicas interessantes e o som é bem rico. Celest x Versekeys Ultra-Sense Planet.
#398/1001. It is summer and this music fits perfectly the atmosphere. Nice new find, not often happens in this project. Worth checking out more and coming back to later.
One of the most diverse entries, not quite at the level to warrant anything more than a middling rating
If you’ve never heard this I’d suggest go to your local hipster coffee place. You’ll see a barista who’s in his 30’s has a beard, collection of decent tattoos and a baseball cap. Imagine the soundtrack in his head. Well done you’ve listened to this album…. On a serious point I do like the Bees. Bought the first album, saw them live and was mesmerised by the way they swapped instruments. However, I think the first album is probably better as it has more songs as this leans more into the world of vibes. I imagine if I was listening to this next to a beach cold beer in hand it would be a great soundtrack. But I’m not, so it does wash over me a bit
Another block of time I'll never get back. I've gotta go with those reviews that gave it a thumbs down. Isle of Wright previous music events didn't rub off on this group.
Better what it rolled in to. Good enough album though.
Beer commercial music, a bit too chilled and middle of the road to grab the attention for any period of time. Innofensive, but you didn't want to turn it off
This is the kind of album you need to be getting high to lol. But while sober, it felt unremarkable to me and was just sort of something I’d enjoy if it was already playing as random background music.
2 out of 5. This wasn't a bad album but nothing really grabbed me either.
Gave it a few goes and some of it grew on me but just lacked a bit of spark.
A great album with superb songs throughout and I am pleasantly surprised it made the list. The Bees are peerless in their genre and I love the vibe of their songs.
Undoubtedly the No.1 thing to come out of a shed in the Isle of Wight ever. Tbh I prefer their later stuff (2nd album especially) which is more upbeat, loose and fun (mirrored by their excellent live shows). But this has its place as a super chilled affair, which is great for a sunny day, or a stinking high 30 degree day in London as it is now….
It’s not my job to decide what’s on this list. But why is this on the list?
Pretty entertaining take on 60s psychadelia. Fun
perfectly cromulent but not particularly exciting
A nice surprise in the hot weather
Pleasant and completely inessential.
I have just one quibble. My favourite covers are those that take a song in a completely new direction, such as The Cardigans version of Ironman. Their cover of A Minha Menina sounds almost exactly like the original. Anyway, if you ever find yourself quibbling with a couple of dudes making music in a shed you have probably lost the plot. This album is great.
I was in a forest and I ascended.
My initial reaction was "this is awesome". But in the end it was mostly that first track: Punchbag. I love the groove, and it's a solid melody too. I also kind of liked the instrumental towards the end: Zia. That one reminds me of "Us and Them" by Pink Floyd.
Was ready to drag this, but it was interesting in a way a lot of the other "random late-90s/earrly 00s UK albums" on this list aren't. Maybe just a high 3, but giving it a low 4 with the idea that I might revisit this album.
Was nervous to see yet another British band I'd never heard of but pleasantly surprised to enjoy this from the jump. Brought to mind some other bands ('This Town' made me think of Real Estate, 'Punchbag' and maybe Beta Band or Spoon? Or Beck?) -- but they're also very much their own thing with easy, island inflections mixed with the occasional raucous sound. Might be a bit too long, especially with the instrumentals towards the end, but will definitely be investigating their other albums, and will make my husband give this a listen as I think this would very much be his jam.
Una mezcla de estilos, original
This record was interesting to me. I have never heard of this band, nor their music, but they seem to have a diverse mix of great songs.
man, this has all the stuff i like
Shit.
Fun and chill little record. It's almost an interesting mixture of Sea and Cake, CAKE, and maybe a tiny dash of Eric Burdon. It's a smattering of different ideas but it doesn't feel inconsistent or overreaching.
Love this! A cool mix of funky and psychedelic, but with a modern twist. It's fun and dancey, but still low key and chill. I'm genuinely surprised I've never heard of this band before. I think they're a bit ahead of their time-- I feel like this album would get a lot of traction if it was released in 2026. The callbacks to early motifs of funk, reggae, and jazz just really make it timeless, though. Super interesting, and just plain good music. "Sweet Like a Champion" was my favorite off this one. Beautiful song.
Refreshing take on this list, but there's still better stuff left off. Still pretty surprising this made it. I like this better than probably 75% of the things I've heard on it.
I really enjoyed this album, definitely my kind of music. And also very glad to have found them, discovery of new artists for me is part of the whole reason to do this!
I liked the sound at points but was hard to escape the element of white man reggae - can be fine but in this case was quite funny
DNF...there may be a group of white men in the 00s who CAN make interesting jazz and reggae inspired indie hits but i dont think it is The Bees... just found this all so dull
Some really great moments, but equally as many “meh” moments.
Chill shit
Músicas com potencial mas que nunca vão passar das 17h-18h do Cooljazz
intriguing
Melkoista hissimusiikkia.
Aika laimea mutta ihan kuunteli. 2,5⭐️⭐️
Miellyttävä! Kivasti laidasta laitaan meininkiä.
If I look up an album I've never listened to before and see that it has won the Mercury Prize, chances are I'm not going to like that album. Can The Bees change my mind? Nope. Tries too hard to be a lot of styles, only to be an album full of songs I'd never choose over what it tries to be. The Kinks? Burt Bachrach? A reggae track? No, no, and absolutely not.
헐 조음 이라고 생각했는데 중간은 맹맹하네요 Punch bag, lying in the snow 괜춘 3
I know I listened to this but I really don’t remember a thing. Like literally. I almost feel like I’m cheating but I’m not listening to this again. Below average enough to not remember anything but certainly good enough to not hate and be disgusted. Have never mentioned we need half stars? Three crappy stars for this one.
B…zzzzz
Sunshine Gir Me welcome to the it's okay but I certainly didn't need to hear this before I die clube
Listened during a really lousy Friday at work. Then during a kind of stressful Sunday morning. Found it annoying. Learned that these songs were used in car commercials shortly after the album came out. Traces of tropicália and reggae muddled into some indie pop or whatever. Not catchy. Sounds like AI-generated music, so I guess it was really quite ahead of its time. The only song on here with any substance or structure was an Os Mutantes cover.
I remembered nothing about this album after listening. The style surprised me at the time (it sounded so much older than it actually is), which I guess is neat.
Not a fan of that album cover, but this is fun. "Tropical" is the best word for it, a perfect accompaniment to the end of the heatwave I'm living in right now. Pretty cool for 60s psych fans. Also weird Beta Band vibes at times too.
Eclético, até demais, chega a ser uma falha. Totalmente irreconhecível, e confuso. Mas seu maior defeito é ser simplesmente meio chatinho. Não é ruim e nem mesmo desagradável, só chatinho. Melhor palavra possível para descrevê-lo, chatinho. Às vezes é groovy, às vezes psicodélico, mas sempre chatinho. O cover de Minha Menina é charmoso. 2/5
Me gustó, medio Parcels pero más jazz, más lo-fi. Me aburrió un poco, no es mi onda.
This was ok. I feel like there’s a reason why The Bees aren’t a household name, but it was fine.
I was hopeful but ultimately underwhelmed.
Wasn't anything groundbreaking but honestly an enjoyable album/listen. Certainly still holds up for being released in the early 2000s. No takeaways, but was nice to listen to.
There's nothing groundbreaking about this album. It's still good, though. This is what you want to hear while you sip a cold IPA in Williamsburg. There are some really cool chords in here, which hold up the bad writing a bit. Highlights: Angryman, Sky Holds The Sun
Alright but didn’t get anything from it
Never heard of them before but enjoyed the different styles they used. Some great songs here.
Very pleasant. This seems like a nice summer album. It reminded me of Gomez, The Zutons, and, slightly strangely, Hot Chip, not for the instrumentation but the voices. It’s not mind-blowing but it’s nice enough. 3.5 stars.
Nice eclectic mix - interesting and will revisit.
4. Fresh, makes me excited. The fact that this came out of a shed makes it all the merrier. Binnell Bay was a favorite of mine.
This was really dull. I had never heard their music before so had no expectations, but this really was boring. So much so in fact, that I fell asleep for some of it. I woke up a couple songs later and it was doing the same thing it was before I fell asleep. It isn’t a 1 as it didn’t infuriate me, but it isn’t any better than a 2.
Who picks this shit?!!
Heel vet
6/10… downbeat / slow pop / *2002
A wacky combination of genres that will puzzle even the most seasoned musical veteran. Maj7 and 9 chords see plenty of use, and we're presented with an overall lazy, summery atmosphere. I really like a lot of these songs. The opener, Punchbag, is plenty psychedelic and an overall really fun experience. The gritty horns (saxes?) contrast nicely with the ultra-smooth Fender Rhodes, which itself commits to a sort of "smooth jazz" genre. Then we have soulful organs in the background, and a strange, tentative vocal melody. Angryman takes a very similar approach to instrumental selection, though the Rhodes keyboard is replaced with more active percussion, creating a (relative) pick-me-up. I do hope we hear some upbeat tracks, though, because these two songs aren't scratching that itch yet. No Trophy somewhat fulfils that role, but it's so cheesy-sounding that I can't take it seriously. Still, a fun time. Half the songs from this point onward seem goofy for the sake of goofy. For the year 2001, none of it is anything particularly special. No Trophy and Binnel Bay could be from the late 60s – think the Zombies or Kinks – and none of us would be any the wiser. Sweet Like a Champion could easily be an early Pink Floyd track (Saucerful of Secrets era). But we're judging by 21st-century standards. In 2001 we had Is This It, Amnesiac, YHF, Lateralus... In terms of sheer impressiveness, Sunshine Hit Me doesn't stack up. But A Minha Menina? That, I can get behind. The strongest lead vocal and backing vocal to date, a great rocking acoustic guitar part, and an excellently memorable brass hook. This is a goddamn satisfying increase in energy, something that songs 1-5 were sorely lacking in. Sky Holds the Sun stands out at the end of the album for sounding much more of-its-time (2000s) than any other song on the record. Well, really it sounds like mumbled grunge from the 90s – at least the vocals do – but it's still pretty sweet. 3/5 Key tracks: Punchbag, A Minha Menina, Sky Holds the Sun
Best Song: A Minha Menina. Delightfully upbeat, with a great chorus. Worst Song: Zia. A fairly uninspired and tedious piano solo. Overall: Very strange inclusion on this list. It just feels like it doesn't do enough of anything to warrant inclusion here. It's fine, but certainly this list should aspire to more than "fine". The album came out in 2001 and I certainly hasn't retained any lasting popularity, nor does it seem to have strongly influenced anyone who has come since.
I was sort of almost feeling it until the A Minha Menina cover, literally shut up you will never be Os Mutantes
Mostly enjoyed this, it kinda faded into the background.
This was ok
5 - fine mood music
A delightful blend of psychedelia, soul and indie with some great sax solos to boot. I’ll be listening again.
A bit of many things, I like it.
kind of boring. not for me
Amazingly perfect music for a train ride on a sunny day.... With a lady who can't shut up in the next row over.. And this was exactly what was going down. Already like the vibe 4 for music and vibes. +1 for the perfect timing.
Im glad i listened to this. This is a top 10 album so far.
There is more to The Bees than their faithfully upbeat cover of Os Mutantes' topicalia classic, A Minha Menina and, while Sunshine Hit Me never quite hits the same melodic high again, it is an album built on laid-back psych vibes and beats rather than out-and-out bangers. Good stuff, but perhaps suffers from being so comfortable in its own "too weird to live, too rare to die" indie niche.
I can totally see why this one was removed in newer editions of the book. That being said, it's still worth it as a relaxing lo-fi record, even if the band doesn't add much to the influences it uses.
Under the radar gem
This was fine to listen to but not particularly memorable. Took me a quite a while to recall what it was this morning that I had heard. The album artwork is more distinctive than the music
Never heard of them before I got them for today and now I see why i’ve never heard of them. The most boring, generic top rock the best thing I can say about them is I didn’t hate them
Fínt bara, ekki mikið um það að segja annars fannst mér.
Ósköp þægilegt, en ekkert erindi á þennan lista. Alveg óþekkt og ekkert nýtt í þessu.
Absolutely nothing about this album makes me think I needed to hear it before I died, except for maybe A Minha Menina because I learned that that song is a cover of an Os Mutantes song and then I ended up listening to Os Mutantes and they're great. I needed to hear their album before I died so that all worked out.
yet another nominee of the savior of rock and roll. also this makes me woozy so i dont like it, im not sure 3/5
I liked the instrumentals
I like the cover of Os Mutantes' "A Minha Menina" and a track or two towards the end. Otherwise unmemorable and unimaginative.
I didn’t like this very much. There were a couple ok moments within a couple tracks. No desire to hear this again.
I can appreciate the quirkiness, eclecticism and occasional chill vibe here. Mattel would be proud seeing that every musical toy seems to have been used in the making of this. Would I turn the dial if this just happened to come on while wasting away on a summer day? Probably not. Would I actively seek this out to listen to on that same summer day? No.
I didn’t particularly like this. A little too high pitched falsetto at the beginning. Then the keyboard/organ sounds they were using sounded very nursery rhyme (punch bag) or circus progression. No trophy had a little island vibe that sounded off. The rest was all over the place. Didn’t feel like any continuity in an album. 2.5
Thought this was an enjoyable chill listen coming off a busy holiday weekend. May revisit and my rating could turn out to be a little low... 3.5/5
Fascinating. 3.5.
OMG NO STOP THIS MUSIC TO COMMIT SUICIDE TO
Mid
not a bad album. a little slow, wasn't a huge fan of some of the songs at the start but overall pretty good. my favorite songs were sweet like a champion, and zia. sunshine gave me sort of a space-themed, joe meek and the blue men vibe
Holy shit, how does this take up a slot on this list? This was bad, and some of those first few tracks is just straight up appropriation, and done poorly. Ended my listen at around track 5 or 6. Eesh
really enjoyed and excited by the first song, but a bit downhill from there
Couldn’t find a hook. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential: One of the greatest albums ever made. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent: A great album I’d happily revisit and recommend. ⭐⭐⭐ Good: Worth hearing. Glad I listened, but not something I’ll return to often. ⭐⭐ Weak: More misses than hits. Probably won’t listen again. ⭐ Bad: A chore to finish. I regret spending the time.
I saw The Bees at a festival around the mid 2000s, which is a good way to hear them. This works best as 'sitting in a field with your mates on a summer day' music, rather than 'giving it your full attention after being told it's one of the greatest albums of all time' music.
idk im tired
Very good album. Great Os Mutantes cover. A 3,5
I have no idea what genre they're trying to be but they're failing at all of them.
The Isle of Wight music scene? An Os Mutantes cover? Ok, I guess I'm glad I heard it.
Relaxing
Enjoyable, but a mixed bag.
Fairly expected quirky twee indie. The kind of album the manic pixie dream girl would recommend while the main character suffers an existential crisis. What's that? Of course there's a Mbira! It's fine, but doesn't need to be on the list - there's a reason it's not anymore! Best Tracks: Punchbag; A Mihna Menina; This Town
I have not heard this before. I recognize a few songs from around when it was released, though if you played them for me again right now I wouldn’t know who it was by. There’s some stylistic variety in a few songs here but most stick to the same electro pop template that isn’t very interesting. The Os Mutantes cover is good, but it’s basically a note-for-note remake and is completely out of place with the rest of the tracks. It’s a little sad when the only song with any depth on an album is a xerox copy of the original, and only makes the rest of the record seem more dull in comparison.
Derivative, generic, insignificant
It's a nice chill album. Akin to Zero 7 and Thievery Corporation, A Minha Menina is an outlier on here.
It was fun
I was not at all familiar with this band, but I really enjoyed this album. It was kind of weird, but for whatever reason I really liked it. Four stars.
Kinda baffled by the reviews here marking it down based purely on it’s popularity… if we were listening to albums based on popularity as the only metric, then this sure would be a boring project
My brother and I agree this album's sounds so good that they're gonna get it. Its vibe too swag, its instrumentation too groove
I listened to this album on a gentle drive to work; I left a little early in the morning so I could take my morning routine nice and slow. The band name "The Bees" immediately reminded me of classic pop acts from the 50s, like the Chordettes or the Cowsills; the fact that the album was from 2002 did, however, throw off that expectation slightly. While Sunshine Hit Me is not a vocal pop album a la those other acts, it does take a low-key and mellow approach to indie rock, somewhat similar to what I've heard from later Arctic Monkeys projects, which still feels in-line with the spirit of those classic acts. This album is an incredibly relaxing listen, with gentle horns and a steady beat contributing to a relaxed and jazzy tone complimented by some light high-pitched vocals. Some of these recordings even sound somewhat distant, as if I'm listening to them through an old radio. When all of these touches are paired with flourishes like xylophone-sounding keys and classic boy band vocal harmonies, Sunshine Hit Me almost sounds like a snapshot of a happier world, a sound palette too pure and gentle to have originated from our time. Even the album cover feels like it was designed to pander to me specifically with its pastel lucha mask design. I want to live in the world I imagine when this album is playing, as its ethereal keys and swells transport me to a world of pastel skies. Highlights: Punchbag, Angryman, No Trophy, Binnel Bay, Sunshine, A Minha Menina, This Town, Lying in the Snow, Zia, Sky Holds the Sun
I had hope when the album started, but honestly a couple songs in, it was pretty stagnant and had nothing notable/memorable. Peak starbucks cafe background music, but not something I would ever go out of my way for. I feel that in this genre of music, there are much more successful artists that could have been chosen instead.
Pleasant enough, subtle, intriguing, low-key. I don't dislike anything, but it is like anti-grab music. Even when it is super cool. Maybe because it is super cool.
I’d forgotten all about The Bees and much as i did know one song of theirs, after this I’ll forget about them all over again. Pleasant and mellow though.
This was enjoyable and unpredictable and odd in just the right way. While I didn't have the oppotunity to egage actively uninterrupted, what I did key into was consistently interesting.
I enjoyed this. It was quietly weird in a way that appealed to me. That cover of Os Mutantes was fun, if perhaps not different enough to warrant doing a cover, but still, they have good taste.
Unfamiliar with The Bees but I like! Getting a Flaming Lips vibe. Love the dreamy vibe of some songs. Incredible that this album came out of a home garden studio. This aspect along with the LP cover art gives me cause to bump it up a star. The "Isle of Wight music scene" sounds like a place I want to be.
Ok
The first half of this album kicks ass The second half of this album sucks ass
That was an unexpectedly Pleasant and delightful listens on my way to work this morning. And I'll be sharing this with my girlfriend at the cottage
en mode chilaaaaxxx
Le nom des membres du groupe me dit de fou qq chose mais je pense que c'est des homonymes. Sinon pour l'album c'est carrément ma came, limite un peu lofi donc pas très extravagant mais hyper chill
Great dinner party music
4/10: mostly just twee fluff that spends a lot of time imitating things I’d rather be listening to. I really don’t like the white boy reggae bits, the psychedelic bits and the folk songs are forgettable. This is one of those albums in the proud British indie landfill tradition, hot amongst music journalists for a few weeks, forgotten thereafter. 100% never listening to this again. Best song: Lying in the Snow
SNORE
This was enjoyable. I might not seek this out, but wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio.
Really soothing actually. Never heard of this band but was not unpleasant to listen to.
I actually knew Punchbag. Maybe it was in a movie or something? This seems like that under the current band who had a song or two creep into public consciousness, but even when you first heard them twenty years ago, you felt it probably wasn’t quite worth it to get too involved. Maybe six or seven people thought they were the shit. In the present day, I’ll say the music isn’t bad. It definitely feels to me like soundtrack music from a particular era, with a tad too much cultural appropriation. I’ll forget about it pronto.
Easy listening, I liked it
Brilliant album, going into the library
Albums like this are why I wanted to do this. This is great and I never would've found it.
This is like an acoustic Gorillaz but if they weren't good
"Lo-fi hip-hop beats to forget immediately after listening to"
I want margarita
musica loffi de un café porteño, una pija
Album vraiment curieux et intéressant. C'est parfois bizarre, c'est parfois très entraînant. On aime ou on n'aime pas, cet album ne laisse pas indifférent. Il a son style, et il se démarque des autres. D'une chanson à l'autre, on passe par différents styles. Note : 4 A réécouter : Oui
This was not interesting in any way.
kinda hate it kinda love it
I found it very boring it faded into annoying noise, it seemed to go on forever.
This is quite nice. Is it before-you-die-worthy? Probably not.
Below average
Ummmm i’m just gonna go right ahead and say I’m not a fan
De zangstem heeft iets Paul McCartney-achtigs, er is wat Beach Boys-achtige samenzang, kortom, dit gaat hoge ogen bij Eric gooien. Verder zijn het vrolijke indie-mopjes waar niemand slechter van wordt. Iets in het Portugees, een instrumentaaltje met orgeltje, huppekee. Had dit per sé in het grote boek gemoeten? Ik hoor niet waarom, maar boeien.
De zang klinkt verdraaid (Punchbag) en/of verveeld (Binnel Bay). Het zal expres zijn, maar dat verdraaide geeft een naar auto-tune-effect. Dat verveelde trekt energie. Zou dat allemaal wat minder zou er een geinig plaatje overblijven. Iets wat het goed zou doen op de achtergrond. Door de zang moet ik van de vergeetbare 3 toch nog wat aftrekken.
Dit klinkt echt als van die muziek die op een festival op de eerste dag om 13.00 uur smiddags is geprogrammeerd op het kleinste podium. Of op een achterafveldje tijdens een bevrijdingsfestival in een middelgrote stad. Ik gok dat ze er best wel plezier in hebben, maar ze krijgen er hoogstens 2 consumptiebonnen en een portie sate voor. Wat dat betreft schijnen ze wel goed geld te hebben verdiend hiermee, want ze zijn veel in commercials te horen geweest in Engeland. Ok, good for them. Qua muziek is het wat gebaseerd op reggae-ska, met de ritmesecties en de caribische geluidjes. De zang doet een beetje verveeld aan, of ze zijn zo high als een garnaal. Dat zou best kunnen, want blijkbaar waren ze gefascineerd door ayahuasca. Nou, ik heb de wiki wel weer lekker uit kunnen pluizen, die was interessanter dan de muziek zelf. Ik vind het al met al niet zo boeiend. Het is ergens een vergeetbare 3, maar ik denk dat ik een keer streng ga zijn en er een vergeetbare 2 van maak. Ik zet gewoon liever iets anders op dan dit en vind het een vrij overbodige toevoeging aan de lijst.
Норм інді з дещицею даунтемпо. Яких-небудь причин бути в цьому списку не було знайдено. Головний хіт аля дженерік пісня під вінтажни
Дуууже дивний альбом, чергова британська квота в цьому списку мабуть. Але я не почув абсолютно нічого що могло б вказати на унікальність чи винятковість Sunshine Hit Me. Хз, якесь аморфне нудне інді.
Summery. Light. Floating. Enjoyable.
British hipster pop-rock was a thing? Well, now I know. And to the editors: you could have saved everyone a lot of time, and yourselves a lot of insults, had you just claimed that there were only about 250 albums that everyone should listen to before they die. Wankers. This abysmal 2* album should be cut and replaced with Dirty Heads' Swim Team. Similar happy-go-lucky vibe, but superior in music, lyrics, vibe . . . everything.
Very summery and psychedelic.
I kinda liked this. Had a real nice groove in spots
Was going OK until Sunshine when the tuneless nonsense started. However the next 3 songs were really good. I wish the site was out of ten as its hard to distinguish .
Not a bad listen at all
Suchhhh a good flow and honestly i think im gonna add Punchbag and Angryman to my liked list, probably also A Minha Menina
unexpectedly funky/soulful
Dreamy
Interesting debut album. Unique approach but not grabbing me. Would give it a 2.5 if allowed but can't give it a 3 so rating of 2 it is.
I wish I understood the reasoning behind including an album like this that no one has ever heard of and has no hits or importance. It's barely been listened to on Spotify, I'm assuming the 100K users who've heard each song are likely doing the 1001 Album Challenge like me. This is fucking terrible and every song is annoying. Whiney vocals, stupid lyrics, basic musicianship. "Punchbag" and "Angryman" just suck, a bit more than the other songs. This is another masterpiece only the UK folks can enjoy. This band is from Isle Of Wight. I'm blown away by how many random bands from tiny towns in England are on this must-hear-before-you-die list. Nonsense. "Shite" as my friends in Wight might say! Complete garbage and a waste of my 39 mins and 56 seconds!! 2 stars, only because "Binnel Bay" was almost a good song.
Quite laid back music, OK for easy listening, but nothing grabbed me about this
Never heard this before but enjoyed it. Reminiscent of Air (French Band) in places. Nothing special, but can see that I might put it on in the background and will explore their other albums.
Meh. There were points where I was really digging it and others where I wasn't.
Ok, I guest.
Highlights: Sunshine, A Minha Menina. In a nutshell: indie tunes for a sunny day. It's not completely an indie rock album. You can hear some blues rock and downtempo influences on it. Perhaps jazz? An album that the band had fun recording. I liked it but it's nothing I'd write home about either. Overall: 4/10
Better as background music.
Never heard of this band. Pretty chill but nothing groundbreaking.
Perfect cool vibes on a rainy, dreary day. Otherwise, very generic, kinda eclectic/fusion sounds. Nothing really stands out.
Good
Ende gefiel mir besser als der Rest, also die letzten Songs meine ich, nicht das es aufgehört hat :D
ganz nett
ganz chillig
Un slow álbum como bien como meh la verdad, me bajó toda la energía que me había dado el anterior
Reading about this album I thought it didn't sound good but it was ok on listening. Pretty harmless and was good background music for folding and putting away laundry
2- Stars (4/15)
6.5/10
In a vacuum some of these songs are good. As an album though it feels like it doesn’t know who it wants to be. You go from a song that sounds like it should be on the banjo-kazooie soundtrack to a Jack Johnson B-side. Makes no sense to me.
Background music
Boooooo
i have trouble understanding how an album can be considered influential if none of the songs go together and create an album experience. there are some good songs on this album, but as a whole, this feels incomplete and scattered. cool album art tho!
I thought this was a good album until we got to the very last song. What was that “Lo Fi Hip Hop Beats to Study and Chill To” ass bullshit doing on there?
first time listening to this, and I wasn’t aware of em before now. a handful of fun moments, but ultimately nothing really stood out to me. a fine enough listen, but I’m not sure what it’s doing on this list.
A pleasant enough album, but hypothetically, if you pop an Oxy and start to feel its effects as you cruise down the highway listening to this album, it’s a hell of a vibe. 3.5
This was GOOD. Clunky, funky and weird!
I really thought this album was cool, super chill. I was thinking 3 but it’s growing on me. Love the opening track and then I even knew one of the songs but I don’t know why. I can’t remember the last time I recognized a song for this project!
Listened in the car. Was it pleasant and nice to listen to? Sure. Was it an essential and influential album that deserves to be on this list? I don't think so.
Cuteish. Still didn't need to listen to it before dying.
Well it was interesting, but not remarkable.
Wait, did I read that correctly? This wasn't a Bob Marley album released in the 1970s? This is the main reason why I'm doing this journey; the hidden gems. Who the hell are The Bees? I don't know, but this relaxing, Summer-esque album puts me right on the balcony of a beach hotel. Favorite Track: "Angryman".
Not my genre, but the instrumental are very very good
4* because I had preconceived judgements and I was wrong
I've had Free The Bees for ages. This is in the same vain. Sunny, fun, and all over the shop. Pleasant enough but 'must hear before you die' seems a bit much.
I liked it, thought it was rather good.
really inventive, hops btwn genres like crazy. feels a bit too cerebral in the experiments for me at times but i really liked a minha menina, sky holds the sun (so dreamy and lush and romantic), you got to leave
Not terrible, but also unremarkable