Sunshine Hit Me

"UK and wussy annoying hipster pop. I could FEEL the cynicism coming through the speakers. It felt like it wanted to be clever, but it was just painful. I outright hated it." I don't like to respond to other reviews. I feel like it's a waste of time, since it's always one-sided, and I doubt anyone comes here to read responses anyway. But taking a glance down through these reviews after having read this album myself ... come on now, people. What are **actually** getting mad at here? Believe me, I understand knocking this book for its love of British albums (all Big Important Critics™ **love** the UK), and I understand getting on its case for including yet another boring indie album. But I feel like getting mad at this album of all albums would be a waste of energy. It doesn't deserve it — 'coz it's really not bad at all. Like, I mean, come on: this is just lo-fi music. It's the sound of relaxing on a late summer evening, curled up with a good book in the last viable natural reading light. You wanna tell me that this is **cynical**? It's a delight! I mean, sure, maybe if you look too hard at the lyrics you can spot some of that "wannabe cleverness" — but I didn't. In fact, I **did** actually curl up with a book as I was reading this. And I had myself a darn fine time. Even with my mind largely taken up by my book, I could pick up on all of this album's influences: reggae, 60's psychedelia, trip hop ... believe me, under the right circumstances I could see myself being **mighty annoyed** by this album. But I wasn't; it really is a nice blend of influences in a lo-fi setting. As long as you don't ask too much from this album (and as long as you're not immediately predisposed to hating all British music thanks to this book), you'll find a nice little vibe to settle into. Seriously, read a book while it's on, like I did; you might find yourself really appreciating it. And that's really all I have to say about it. For sure, it's absolutely not one of **the** albums you have to listen to before you die. If we're reviewing albums on that front, I can absolutely understand rating this a 1. But I wanna think (or hope) we're all talking about the music strictly. And while I know, it takes diff'rent strokes to move the world and all such, I just really cannot agree with this thing being a 1. It's a 3, at bare minimum. Honestly, this thing makes me wish it really **was** summer when my group got this, instead of mid-November. I can only imagine how it'd sound on an actual summer evening. But even with the temperature growing colder and snow on the way (I hope), it brought me some sunshine. I can't be mad at it for that. And I don't think you should either.

Very chill album. Nice to listen to while doing something else. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Honestly, I’m at a 5. You look at the top reviews for this thing on the site, and there’s a whole lot of disdain & vitriol for what essentially boils down to… lo-fi music. This is just modern lo-fi music, but from 2002, recorded by 2 guys in a little shed for a recording studio, in a quaint garden, somewhere on the Isle of Wight. Treating this thing like self-pretentious indie pop when it’s literally just 2 dudes making songs in a shed is wild to me. You can hear the makeshift nature of this album through most of its tracks, and it’s kind of a miracle it comes out as cleanly & as well-produced as it does. The vocals are solid, but really hypnotizing whenever they hit a harmony. The lyricism is super abstract, presumably related to little slices of life on the island. The production / instrumental work is where this thing shines. It really is about as chill as it could possibly be, with the piano & guitar providing sort of a summer-y vibe to it throughout, with clear influences from 1960s psychedelic rock, a little bit of reggae, and mild hints of trip-hop & electronica. You know, lo-fi music. This is a very mellow album, and while it doesn’t necessarily do anything that special, it just creates a sort of vibe that feels really nice to sit in. It might be the slight dichotomy of getting such a boldly produced cinematic album yesterday written by a cavalcade of artists, followed by possibly the most casual album on the list so far, coming from 2 dudes in a shed, striking my ears in just the right way, but I happened to really enjoy this. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the low scores & the claims that this doesn’t really deserve a place on the list over some other, well-deserving albums – believe me, I’d probably trade this for “Demon Days”, “Yourself Or Someone Like You”, “Ten Summoner’s Tales” or a number of other albums in a heartbeat, but I’m not necessarily mad that it’s here. If anything, I’m glad it is, because I never would’ve stumbled upon it otherwise. It is one of the most relaxing albums we’ve hit upon on the list, and it just caught me on a good day for it. The floor is definitely a 3, but I just think it’s my type of vibe, hence a 5. To be clear, not all 5s are created equal; it’s not like this is as good as Van Halen’s “1984” or anything. It’s just a vote of confidence, really.

Hice sounds, cute moods

It felt like 70s elevator music mixed with a kids’ tv show theme. Not good at all.

This made no impact on me at all, apart from the Os Mutantes cover. I'd rather just listen to the original. No need for this in the book

Me resultan originales y me gusta en general

Perfectly passable, didn't impress me much

This seems like a really solid release. It was kind of complicated music and I think I would need more listens to really love it, but I think that's a possibility.

What the fuck is happening in this album? It's got a little bit of everything and I can't tell if it's Good or Imitating Something Good. It's nice when it's on the knife edge of jazzy without being jazz or lo-fi beats to study to (which it often shifts to) and some of the twee shit really grinds my gears. A Minha Menina fuckin' sucks, dude. But there's obviously some great stuff here. I can't get my head around it. Some parts are a low two to one and some parts are a 4, so I'm gonna split the difference.

Phenomenal album. The UK has a way of promoting these unique bands that end up on the radio or with a Mercury prize.

Jesus Fucking Christ. There's more 2000s British indie on here? Why is this here? I swear this whole album list is just one big British circle jerk of the same types of artists and bands over and over and over again. This is yet another instance of bunch of quirky british white guys trying to be "eclectic" or whatever and having it all blend into each other anyway. This reminds me a lot of a different band on this list whose name starts with B, the Beta Band. I don't like the Beta Band very much, and I don't particularly care for the Bees either. I do think that I liked this more than Hot Shots II, but it's by a pretty slim margin. The album sounds alright. It's got some nice moments musically. The vocals are whatever. The writing exists. The album doesn't go on for too long, I'll give it that. Too many of these albums go on for an hour+, so a 40 minute album is nice to see. I just don't care about this one. It's not bad, but there is no reason for me having to listen to this before my death. Also, the Os Mutantes cover is just okay. Worse than the original, but not bad in and of itself. Low 3/5.

So called music fans when a niche and unique indie alt album is on a list of albums : 😡 In my heart of hearts I appreciate this alot. Its got mellow soundscapes and a level of psychadelia that not only penetrates my ears it soothes my soul. But, even listening critically I can't find much to write home about. The vocals are super muted, percussion is kinda lame, guitars are not all that inspiring. But all culminates into something pretty cool, just not incredible. Also this sound kinda predates 2010's revival culture. Where everything came with the 60's and 70's flair. Which is pretty neat.

nice

It finished before starting 😅

This was okay nothing amazing

Very atmospheric and intriguing, with some clear influences in jazz and funk along with psychedelic rock.

The album cover for "Sunshine Hit Me" is frankly awful and doesn't set a good first impression. The opening track, "Punchbag," is pleasantly mellow, but its slow pace makes it an odd choice to lead an album. As the record progresses, it becomes clear that this mellow sound is the reigning aesthetic. Tracks like "Angryman" and "No Trophy" follow suit. While "No Trophy" injects a slight, jaunty Ska influence, it remains distinctly low-key. By the time the listener reaches "Binnel Bay," the fourth track, the consistently sedate and one-paced nature of the album begins to struggle to hold interest. However, the middle section offers some much-needed variety. The cover of "A Minha Menina" brings a refreshing change of pace with its driving rhythm and a sharp, high-in-the-mix guitar hook that stands out completely from the preceding tracks. Similarly, "Sweet Like a Champion" distinguishes itself with its sombre, melancholic, bass vocals and delicate acoustic guitar work. Ultimately, while the album is well-performed and features a pleasant mix, "Sunshine Hit Me" is largely one-paced and lacking in dynamics. For me, it fails to offer the necessary variety to stay engaging and, as a result, didn't stir an emotional reaction of any kind. It's not a disagreeable album, just nice and forgettable. Rounding up, it just rates three stars. 1. "Punchbag"  (3/5) 2. "Angryman"  (3/5) 3. "No Trophy"  (3/5) 4. "Binnel Bay"  (2/5) 5. "Sunshine"  (2/5) 6. "A Minha Menina"  (4/5) 7. "This Town" (2/5) 8. "Sweet Like a Champion"  (4/5) 9. "Lying in the Snow" (3/5) 10. "Zia" (2/5) 11. "Sky Holds the Sun" (3/5) Total - 31 Average - 2.82 145/1001 75/145 albums reviewed were new to me.

Bland and forgettable. I failed to engage with it at all. 2/5

Pleasant enough and I guess an example of something but not something I needed to hear before I die. This one took me over a week to get through and made me pause my feed. Two stars as it's ok but docking one star for length. Shut up. You don't need an hour. FFS!

This album absolutely enraged me. Not the worst on this list but I just couldn’t take it.

New band to me, though on first listen I recognized A Minha Menina, though maybe just because it's a cover. Overall, feels like a band with lots of potential, but a little to unfinished for my liking, but maybe that's just the psy-music vibe. Punchbag - this is a solid first track. Nice interplay of the intstruments, keyboard, drums, bass, and horn all working together. Even got a nice contribution to the groove from a triangle, which maybe a first. Writing this on my second listen and still wish they had a stronger vocalist, though I don't hate his contributions here...well, maybe, "use me like a punchbag" just doesn't fit with the overall groove, like someone just decided to sing some gibberish just because. Angryman - also a great vibe--and and again more contributions from a triangle, but I really want them to get a better vocalist. No Trophy - I'm not convinced by their attempt at dub. Feels like they got stoned and were like, we could play this, but it's mediocre. Binnel Bay - No. BS psy-rock stoner drivel. Sunshine - this is solid. I think they're at their best in instrument drive low-key vibes. Honestly, would like this to be longer some musical development, but otherwise good. A Minha Menina - can't complain, nice catchy groove and first time I haven't actively disliked the vocals. I can't place it, but besides actually being a cover this feels rhythmically like a cover of some alt group from the 90s, maybe Janes' Addiction--but I don't think that's right. This Town Sweet Like A Champion Lying In The Snow Zia - meh. This is a vibe track, but doesn't quite nail the vibe. Sky Holds the Sun - This gets the vibe better. The interplay of the rhythm section and the horns creates a great groove. But I could do without the vapid vocals. Seeds - liking the intro groove, but again I could do without the vocals. You Got to Leave - weird vibe change. Little bit of Lou Reed, little bit of White Stripes, little bit of please don't play this again. Elain Whistle Chop - I can get behind this. Has a psy-rock-jazzy vibe that I like. Drum line is nice 'n tasty. Maybe you need to be high to truly enjoy this album? Jackel Head - Out for the Count

I want to say that this sounds like GarageBand. That's not fair. There's plenty of close-mic and panning. If it's GarageBand, it's very good GarageBand. It's just that nothing stands out in this perfectly fine and unremarkable indie funk album. My knowledge of The Bees comes from Free the Bees, which came two years after this. I heard the song "Chicken Payback" on Triple J Sydney all the time when I lived there. That song is still great. And in fairness, it's of a piece with what appears to be their career statement of un-fussed Motown revival mashed with gentlemanly lad rock. But it's wall-to-wall better. So politely close the tab on this record, listen to Free the Bees, and wonder why that wasn't the Bees record in this dude's book.

Weird pick of a bank with 77k monthly listeners and only one song over a million streams on the album. I guess popularity =\= best. that being said, this album is not the best. sure there are a couple catchy songs. its good background music. I wont be listening to The Bees again.

Its not that I don't like it. I'm mostly indifferent to the mid singing and the random style of the music. But I know who listen d to this type of music in the early 2000's and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Really enjoyed discovering this band by listening to this album. Chill music that hits and fits a lot of musical tastes. Listened to this twice and more of their catalog.

3.5. I enjoyed it.

Angryman (track 2) was good. But track 3? WTF? Track 4 too - odd. Track 5 instrumental good. Track 6 meh. Maybe a few others were ok. 3 stars.

This is fine. Inoffensive. I'm not sure I needed to hear it before I die though.

This album has really nice vibes and I could totally see myself listening to it again and keeping it in my back pocket for the right situation. Nice consistent sound with still a nice amount of variation throughout the album. It feels like a high three to me, but I'll give it a four because I've given some far worse albums threes recently.

Un retorno futurista a la mejor psicodelia. Tame Impala lograron algo similar con su debut. Punchman y Angryman dejan las cartas boca arriba, con un sonido peculiar pero muy logrado. Sorprende el giro jamaicano con No Trophy, primer sencillo del disco. Sunshine es una joya instrumental, de lo mejor del lote, junto con las calmadas This Town, Sweet Like a Champion y sobre todo Lying in the Snow. A Minha Menina tuvo recorrido en la publicidad, es una buena versión de otros ilustres: Os Mutantes. ¿El problema? Que otras bandas transitaron ese camino, tan o mejor que ellos: The Beta Band, Gomez, The Coral o los primeros Tame Impala.

The Bees combine the lo-fi acoustic singer-songwriter psychedelia of Syd Barrett with a globalized hipster appetite for the sounds and styles of world music for a pleasantly warm and dreamy swishy lounge meets indie bedroom pop vibe that's tastefully arranged and expertly crafted. Very nice, but lacks excitement.

Nothing really jumping out at me. Liked Lying In the Snow.

Fun beats and enjoyable but not sure I will listen to again

I dunno what to make of this. It's almost too eclectic and kinda doesn't sound like anything.

Another album that's clearly here to make up the numbers. Nothing really that memorable here. Just lock standard indie rock with the same "chill vibes only" you see with every other indie band. There's some cool keyboard work here I guess, but I'm hard pressed to find anything else that memorable about it. The sunshine didn't really hit me here. Meh. Best songs: Nil 2/5

This has got to be one of the most early aughts sounding albums I've heard in awhile. It's not the most exciting listen, but all the elements are there for an alternative rock/pop album from the turn of the century. A lounge groove feel, mostly spoken vocals, occasional dub vibes, refined simplicity. This is excellent background music for something like happy hour, having company over for dinner, doing chores, or shopping some small boutique-esc shop. However, it is not an album for a deep, focused listen as there's not really a lot below the surface. For all intents and purposes, I enjoyed this quite a bit and will keep it in my back pocket for when I need something in the background.

I don’t get the love for this one at all, other than that some of the production sounds impressively retro. Other than the nice Mutants cover, nothing really stood out and I was bored before the end. Maybe you had to be there?

Liked the reggae-inspired bits but it fizzled out into bland meh. Don't enjoy songs where the lyrics consist of saying the same line over and over

Wie kommt so ein einfallsloses Supermarktgedudel in so eine Liste?

Ambient, cool. Nice intersection between jazz, ambient and rock. Great to have on in the background while I was cooking. Nothing super groundbreaking but it definitely grew on me over the course of the listen.

8/10

Nice vibe

Fun! I knew A Minha Menina and expected Gomez-esque dusty grooves, but Punchbag was a beautiful opener, and there were several nice, dubby vibes. It maybe lacked a couple more memorable tunes, but definitely a strong 4.

Really good album

There were bits where it lost me but overall a nice listen

This was nice

A lot of different genre.

fun little album

15.10.25 klo 10.48, hima, varvas, spotify hyvä on! letkiää. lopulta kaikki käy hyvin

A very aptly named album here, because you really are hit with a big old slab of sunshine, pretty much from the moment it all begins. I don't think I expected to feel this nostalgic about The Bees, but they have tapped into something deep within. They're also, objectively, a very interesting sounding band, quite far removed from a lot of their turn-of-the-millennium contemporaries.

Fun cover of Mutantes.

I should probably stop quibbling over whether these albums are really NECESSARY to listen to before you die and just enjoy being introduced (and re-introduced) to music. But this album is one that would have fit within that argument pretty well. Parts of this reminded me of Sufjan Stevens. I like it, don't love it. Very British. I liked the Os Mutantes cover. If half-stars were available it would be 2.5 for me.

This was a big surprise. It's such a warm album and within it's warmth it's actually a versatile effort. I never knew which song would come next. This is an album I will definitely return back too. It felt quite unique for a rock album released in 2002.

Not good at all.

This was Sweet Like a Champion.

-oh hell yeah this is precisely the type of Bohemian millennial indie i like. reminds me a lot of Animal Collective and nothing revolutionary, but this band still does their own thing -holy shit my soul left my body when they covered A Minha Menina?? any band that likes Os Mutantes is a friend of mine. great work -Favorites: Punchbag, Binnel Bay, A Minha Menina

Another proof point this list is put together by a particular kind of British hipster. Boring

A surprisingly good album. Didn’t know what to expect but quite enjoyed it. The reggae undertones were very well done.

Never heard of The Bees before but enjoyed their work. Different and melodic while staying interesting. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)

I’ve always loved The Bees—they have such a distinctive sound—so I was really looking forward to giving Sunshine Hit Me another listen today. As their debut album, it’s a real burst of joy. The music instantly brings to mind summer and festivals, with a style that feels both nostalgic and fresh. What makes it stand out is how eclectic it is: a mix of psychedelia, Jamaican dub, reggae, indie, 1960s rock, and even a touch of modern Mod. It’s playful, inventive, and brilliantly put together. I’ve seen The Bees live many times, and this album captures the spirit that makes them so good. That said, I’d actually recommend exploring their next two albums—Free the Bees and Octopus—which, in my opinion, take things up another notch. Favourite track: Still undecided—there are plenty of highlights. Least favourite track: None that I’d skip, though the more instrumental tracks like Zia can drag a little. Album artwork: A cool, very 60s-inspired cover with definite Yellow Submarine vibes.

Strong 3 Undeniably chill vibes, but not much else. Was very down in the beginning, but then not much more came of it.

3.8

this band is made up of tulpas inadvertently formed by our collective unconscious and they are inflicting their psychological revenge on us for burdening them with the pain of existence.

Super chill, really nice background music. Kind of reminds me of Nice Guys Love You a bit. Love the album art, as well.

This is fine. Not particularly noteworthy; it’s just kind of shapeless, pleasant, indie rock. THREE STARS

Quite good

mit største take på det her er, at det er Lo-fi musik der basicly er lavet i et skur som er super charmerende og varmt. Genrene er psychedelic pop. Det er legende og farverige arrangementer som jeg ikke rigtig hører, men det kan være det kræver et ekstra listen. win over at jeg kendte det original nummer inden jeg hørte dette. Os muntantes har jeg allerede haft på listen. Jeg synes ikke rigtig det var noget specielt i mine øre, måske er jeg bare ikke moden nok eller også har jeg craved noget andet i dag. Med det sagt synes jeg ikke det er dårligt, men nogengange skal man vel også give nogle 2'ere eller 3'ere. jeg tror jeg giver det en 2'er bare for at jeg kan vende tilbage til det en anden gang.

I don’t know what I expected, but this wasn’t it. I really like the music. The vocals remind me of 60s vocal group harmonies. Which are great, but there needs to be a single voice to stand out too. This album is weird but good. It’s almost at times like listening to pop start trek album. The sounds feel very 60s sci-fi. This album feels less like listening to an album and more like listening to a great radio station. The fuzz guitar on “A minha menina” is great. This song just radiates fun. While still having the singers sound depressed. 😂.

Oddly enough, stylistically felt like a blend between Radiohead & Procul Harum…? Some of the beginning/intro wasn’t doing it for me, but then the compositional stand-outs came—Sunshine, A Minha Menina, Sweet Like a Champion, Zia—& that really grabbed me.

Meh

I found some interesting sounds in this album, but it didn’t seem to come together.

Just kind of aggressively mid to my ears. That makes it unworthy of the list so it's getting a 2. I like the album cover though to be honest.

Not the bees! This was smooth, and aged incredibly well for when it came out (3.5/5)

This album grew on me with a second listen. I knew a few other songs and those were more immediate. This album has an eclectic mix of songs and it's hard to tell at first listen who they are, and then second listen through you realize it's all them. I won't give it more than 3 because i need more listens to determine if it's a 4, or maybe if it creeps into 5 territory.

Definitely a different sound than most things out there in 2002. It’s a pretty chill listen with an eclectic mix of genres. I probably wouldn’t go back to this one, but it was an interesting Monday morning today.

This is a sunny, chill album and made for perfect listening on my morning commute. As a whole, it gets less totally consistent as it goes on, unfortunately. It was really weird to hear "A Minha Menina" on here just three days after getting Os Mutantes, I initially thought that something had gone wrong with my streaming. I appreciate the connection: here you have a British indie group adapting a Brazilian psychedelic group which, in turn, adapted an American folk rock song. These little connections show the evolution of our modern music so well and are fascinating to discover. Favorite track: "Angryman"

I really liked this album and group. This is great chill music. Reminded me of my time in the PNW.

Quite varied which stopped me giving it only one star but there were too many tracks I found boring or irritating to give more than two stars

Thanks for introducing me to The Bees. Really enjoyed the vibe of this album.

Not a fan

2 stars Didn’t know this one, although I recognized “A Minha Menina” from commercials and maybe college radio at the time. General vibes of early 2000s indie. It wasn’t bad, but also not particularly interesting beyond the immediate listen. Didn’t find myself wanting to return to it, other than the song I knew because it brought me back. There is much more indie music in the 2000s that was more influential and I think more listenable that aren’t on this list, so I can see why this was nixed after a few editions.

Decent

Interesting but not much more than that. 3*

Going to call this album fine. I'd say very fine (as in more fine, not more than fine) if that was actually a thing. Sort of like an extra medium shirt size, which doesn't make any sense. What I mean is, it's another album where nothing is wrong with it, but I don't really get why I would need to hear it before I die. It's pretty chill and easy to listen to. But it's also very bland and uninteresting overall. I am not going to remember it after getting through a few more albums. Overall: 2.3/5

Indie Rock album with some Reggae and Psychedelia thrown in for good measure. Not bad, but not great either, and I can't imagine going to see them live. Apparently the tracks "A Minha Menina" was used for several adverts but I don't remember it.

It was interesting sounding

3/10

slatko

Wasn't prepared for the Os Mutantes cover

Mild, quiet, and weird. Some nice jazzy stuff here but not my vibe.

I might forget about it, but I enjoyed it while it was there.

Poeh ja, nee dit was niet helemaal mijn album. Er zat af en toe een vleugje jaren 60 in, wat mij zeker kan bekoren. Maar werd ook afgewisseld met grote delen van voor mij muzikale verdwaaldheid. Ergernis of gwn niet mijn aandacht erbij kunnen houden. Het is wel vrolijk, maar daar is het voor mij ook wel mee gezegd. 2 reten.

Quite and odd album I will say but not a bad experience. A nice background music 2/5

Drivel

Dreamy, arty, lofi feeling album. Not bad, but not GREAT, all together fine throughout. Won't listen to it again but a fine one time listen.

Pleasant, but not my style. ★★★

It’s pleasant in that gentle, inoffensive 2000s indie way, but sadly, not much more beyond that. I feel like I’ve heard “A Minha Menina” in a commercial somewhere. I’d probably like it more if not for that. Favorite: Sweet Like a Champion

This is great music for sitting poolside in the summer and jamming. Unfortunately, I was not doing that while listening to this album. This album was fun tho. It tended to drone on for me and definitely could have been shorter, but it wasn't bad. Very lo-fi. Liked Songs: "Angryman" , "No Trophy" , "Binnel Bay" , and "Sunshine"

Fun 3.5

Sounds like music created by and for trust funders.

Indie rock with eclectic influences

Their debut album. Rock. This album is a mix of styles brought to you in a smooth and very chilled way. Nothing here is outstanding but nothing is objectively bad either. The production wasn't great. I can imagine some hipster coffee shop in Shoreditch playing this in the background as they serve you a coffee for twelve quid by a barista with a beard and a top knot, his name is Xander.

Was really mellow and a bit meh until "A Minha Menina" which I quitte enjoyed! The rest of the album was still not very interesting to me though.

Never heard of these guys but I really enjoyed this. I wish I could give it a decimal rating cause it’s not quite a 4 for me but it’s way better than a 3. Like a 3.8 if I could do that.

The 1001 Most Mediocre British albums you must hear before you die. There, I fixed it.

Really should be in this list.

August 25, 2025: Sunshine Hit Me by the bees Solid 2/5 very coffee shop to rainy day to too hippy for me.

This was a super chill album. I enjoyed this more than I expected going into it.

Meh for me

Nice, if unremarkable.

Welcome back to issue 147 of why is this album on the list

Dreamy laidback harmonies.No trophy is a pleasant reggae treat.Binnel Bay has exotic elements like a mini trip in Hawaii.Sunshine is a jazzy soul anthem almost instrumental until the end.Lying in the snow really stands out in this album for me,its a masterpiece.60's martini aesthetics in most songs.

Enjoyed this. Need to give it another few listens. Not blown away. But enjoyable.

Not for me. 1/5

Chill. Nick says 10/10 will form my own opinion a day late lol

Unknown band to me. This is what I would call a run of the mill Rock & Roll band. An OK listen.

frekar áhugaverð indíemúsík. suðrænar trommur og brasilísk ábreiða. gæti vaxið. 3,5.

Decent.

I liked Sky Holds the Sun, and overall this is pleasent enough that I won't turn it off, but ultimately it didn't do a lot for me

I always appreciate being introduced to artists I know literally nothing about, even when it turns out not to be my thing. This is perfectly pleasant but also pretty forgettable.

We have a huge shortage of skilled nurses and yet we've got way too many people putting out albums like this.

not my cup of tea

As soon as this started I thought I found the source behind 2017-2020 indie music, but it just kept divulging into something completely different.

this album goes all over the place. some of it’s super cool and some of it is just fine. tempted to go low 4 but i think high 3 is a better representation of it

This album is just nice and sometimes that's all you need.

not sure why this was on the list. Not offensive but nothing really stands out either

They letting anyone on this shit but ornette coleman man wtf. Random 2000s indie flops and a whole cover album of his work but they somehow couldn't fit the shape of jazz to come. You got 1001 albums but woops! We can't fit one of the most influential jazz albums ever! That would cut into the indie no names budget! Somehow we fit JOHN ZORN though! I'm talking about this instead of the album because this is so nothing it hurts. PUT ORNETTE COLEMAN ON THIS LIST FOR REAL YOU COWARDS 20/100

Album 867 of 1089 The Bees - Sunshine Hit Me (2002) Rating : 1.5 / 5 Not awful, just bland and forgettable. Not much to say here — I found it bland and forgettable. It’s not offensively bad, but it never really hooked me or gave me a reason to want to come back. Just felt like a big miss for me.

2/10 Well this is a dull little meander through the musical interests of The Bees. It very much feels like a band who have worked out a whole load of different ways to say what they want to say, but haven’t actually worked out what they’re trying to tell us yet. While the musicianship is nice and tight, the production is, on the whole, excellent, they seem completely incapable of writing any good hooks, choruses or melodies. It’s banality incarnate. Nice but uninteresting. And there’s no grit or edge to it at all. Instead of a smoky jazz bar with nice wine, we get a room full of people vaping and drinking alcohol-free rose. Instead of the weed-soaked swagger of a reggae festival, we get a white-boy dreadlock filled drumming circle in the park. Instead of prog-rock psychedelia on mushrooms, we get nitrous oxide balloons in the back of a limo. It’s all a pale imitation of what inspired it, made worse by the fact that most of the tracks just give us one fairly uninspired idea and just roll with it for three minutes. I kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. In fact, the second time around it just went from being almost intensely Mundine to downright irritating. It gets an extra point for the production and musical abilities on display, but this is really fighting out out with some of the clunkers on this list. Punchbag - This is a nice, breezy summers day intro. But then it just… carries on. There’s no hook. The vocals are a bit of a dirge and it’s just not that interesting. It’s well produced, but would it hurt to throw in something catchy? Angryman - This is a more promising start. The vocals are a bit annoying, but if it kicks into something, it’ll be forgivable. But no, all evidence so far suggests that these guys don’t know how to write a chorus. The solo section at 3 minutes is cool, but it’s fleeting. It’s just another song idea that’s underdeveloped and doesn’t really lead anywhere. No Trophy - Another one that feels like a great vibe, but doesn’t go anywhere. It’s like they’ve understood the technicality of a lot of the genres they’re trying to ape, but just don’t understand the soul of it. This is the best song so far, but there’s just no character to it. Binnel Boy - They’ve found their toy box. Again, this one starts out nicely enough. But it goes nowhere at all. No hook, no chorus, just vibe. And vibe alone does not make a satisfying track. Sunshine - Another “oh, this is nice” moment until I realise the track is halfway done before anything has happened. And what happens is just a slight development of the initial idea, nothing fresh. Meh. A Minha Menina - Newsflash, I think they’ve tried to write a chorus. It’s not a very memorable one, but it’s something. Sonically, this is probably one of the least interesting on the album so far, but it’s an actual song. Seems to be one or the other with these boys. Feels like an unfinished demo outline of a song and the production is at its weakest so far here. This Town - Another meandering slice of niceness that never goes anywhere. It’s just the same idea for 3 minutes. There is a very slight variation between sections, but there’s no dynamic change or any significant structural change, it’s just bumbling along being nice until they fade out when even they’ve got bored. Sweet Like a Champion - This doesn’t even have any of the pep of previous tracks. It might work quite well as a tonal shift if the rest of the album had more hooks or connected better, but amongst this album, it just feels like a bit of a dirge. But it is more of a structurally sound song than the rest of the album, which is something. Lying in the Snow - So they’re doing a Pink Floyd now. But they haven’t earned it. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the album, at all. But it does at least have some motion to it, some variation and dynamic change. This is probably the most competent song of the album, but it’s still a bit boring and doesn’t build up to the grandiosity that it hints at. Zia - This seems like a nice little interlude. But what’s that? It’s the second longest track on the album? Nice, but meandering and, amidst the banality of the rest of the album, it’s just another nice slice of nothingness. Sky Holds the Sun - Give me a bloody melody already, Jesus. This whole track is a three and a half minute intro to nothing. The vocals just feel like scratch vocals that they meant to replace but never got round to it. The music is nice, but it’s just boring and goes nowhere.

Had high hopes since this was an album I had never had any exposure to before. It was a worthwhile listen, but nothing that blew me away or captivated me on first go. 3/5

So dull - couldn't last past Binnel Bay.

Interesting - I’d never heard of this! But it didn’t grab me much.

Gotta admit I was kinda pissed to learn that cool music from those commercials was written by a couple white guys.

Sorry, but this is when I get pissed. 1,001 albums is a lot, but there’s a massive amount of great music out there. Way beyond a thousand albums. And these English writers put this crap on here? It serves no point, drives no emotion, is ineffectual . . . I could go on. So let me. It has inferior production quality, poor song construction, the singing isn’t good, nor does it influence anything. If only the Sunshine hit this band and gave them an ounce of musical talent or originality. Instead, they tried to recreate a Beatles album circa the early 60s. In the 2000s. With no talent, and nothing upbeat. There have been some bad English albums on this list, but this is the worst. Why? In short, it’s boring. Shame on the authors of this book, taking a spot with this useless record. Nothing worth listening to and it certainly shouldn’t be anywhere near this list.

I couldn’t. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.

Sounds like pretentious stuff that fantano fans will get hard for

3,5

Hodgepodge of genres with no through line.

Good indie record.

It sounded fine, but why something this plain on this list is beyond me.

This was pretty good at bits but was very forgettable. I went back to add my notes a day after listening and had to replay it to remember what I heard.

Definite mix of influences on this one giving a fairly laid-back feel. Torches of Ska, e ok ectronica, late 60's vibe, easy listening. Would stick this on in the background but not really be paying attention to it.

This album is pretty eclectic. Kind of sounds like a randomly generated "millenial playlist" in terms of songs. You've got some funk, reggae, some millenial psychedelia, some soft rock, and some organ heavy tracks. It's not bad, it's just a little odd.

The record started quite cool but it lost its momentum over time…

Great album! There was some songs I didn't enjoy but the other ones were just amazing and so surprising.

Surprised how much I liked it

Mellow, enjoyable.

Gotta love that happy sound

Pretty cool pop album, enjoyed this.

This album was my vibe. Hit some musical notes I forgot since uni. Big fan have added these to my rotation. Good feel good music - little hint of some mixes of different genres. Reminded me a lot of the eels - good vibes all around.

- Was expecting a Bee Gees album as I didn’t read it properly… What a surprise ! Glossy dream like keys on Punchbag which I really vibe with, and then the bouncy bass line driven Angry Man, with its infectious vocals. This genre bending record, keeps you constantly guessing where it is going, Sweet Like A Champion is a favourite and shows a darker side to The Bees song writing. Very relaxing, would use as background or travel music for sleep.

A really interesting album for the era it came out in

It was fine.

Nice mellow album. Not necessarily a lot of highlights but a very pleasant to listen to.

Big song good. Rest average

Around the turn of the millenium there were a number of artists whose music I can only describe as 'shambling' 'mumbly' 'acoustic crate digging' or even 'beanie hat and beard'. Gomez, Badly Drawn Boy, Beta Band (who are better than this) and it would seem The Bees. The tunes drift away towards and away from them here without much sticking, apart from on the noted Lying In The Snow here, which is lovely and drags the whole affair up to three stars. Also complete Starbucks vibes.

Fun breezy early 2000's alt rock with an interesting soundscape. Hard to dislike but I question if it truly needs to be on here tbh. Still though, not going to complain. 6/10

Ist nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht gut.

Chill

A-puoli on tosi hyvä! Sellane utuinen kesäpäivä pihalla. Symppis muutenkin, vaikka vähän liikaa junnaa b-puolella. Positiivisesta yllätyksestä (olin varautunut, mut eka biisi heti vakuutti eikä jatkokaan sitten pettänyt) ekstraplustähti.

Pretty cool! 4 stars

Un bodrio mortal. Los últimos dos temas zafar. Nota: 2.5

Nothing bad, but ultimately a bit boring. I liked Punchbag, Sunshine and Zia the most.

I couldn't say it better than all of these reviews already have. Enjoyable cover, thought it had some promise to start with but then amounted to being very dull.

Nice enough

enjoyable enough but i have no idea why this is something i HAD to hear?

I’d give this a solid 2.5/5. Not bad but definitely not my speed. I can’t say any songs were memorable, but it was an easy listen. Excited to see what comes next!

Liked it but didn't love it. It was a little all over the place but I didn't mind. Some songs I really enjoyed just for the vibe, but a few too many songs didn't hit for me.

This was a good album overall with very good songs on their own. There were lots of fun instrumental pieces, but it seemed to go all over the place. At some points, I felt like the album ended and I was listening to another album.

..

Well done, very smooth, enjoyed it. A nice mix of jazz, reggae with sometimes a bit of a lowfi feel to it.

Muy way. No lo conocía.

Instant crush! Was für eine schöne Entdeckung... wobei man dann feststellt, dass man mindestens zwei Songs schon sooo lange kennt. Brian Wilson lässt herzlich von der Wolke grüßen! 4/5

Enjoyed this a lot, v chilled

3 for enjoyability 1 for importance Averages to a 2 Black midi would have been a better inclusion

Well now I’ve heard The Byrds and The Bees. 6/10

I think I liked it the first time, but the second time through was lamer but I like all the album art work!

Forgettable and it put me to sleep.

I switched this off after a few tracks because life is just too short for mediocre music.

Relaxing, laudback and easy tunes, need to have the sun out to enjoy this properly.

I enjoyed this, a nice meld of psychedlic and jazz. did anything really stand out? not really, but there is a place for effective background/mood-setting music, and this helped me with some work.

Adding to the long list of "Alex's favorite song on an album is the one with the least # of scrobbles on spotify", I liked Zia. The rest of the album was pretty generic to me. My biggest gripe with this album is that i've listened to too much indie popneo-psychedelia in my life at this point. Does this 2001 album sound like a 2008 album? Sure it does, but in 2025 I've had my share of it. Still, while I'd rather listen to Starfucker over this, I respect that this Bees album came out 7 years earlier. 2.75 rounded up.

Oooh one I've never heard a whiff of. And such neat album artwork. Let's get into it. First listen: -Liking the ethereal chimes to get us started, into a sorta jazzy vibe. -Ahhh all my notes are gone. Oh well no one reads these anyway. -I liked the one with the reggae-ish beat, whose name was noted in the lost version of this review. -A Minha Menina was a highlight, but it turns out it's a cover. Still fun! -Sweet like a champion has a nice dark vibe. -Some of these songs feel, ah, a little elevator music-y. The incorporation of jazz is fun, but occasionally done poorly it has that effect -Really goes out with a whimper. Last three songs do nothing for me. Review: On a first listen I thought this might even be a 5-star album. But no. Lots of fun stuff here, but it's too uneven. Lying in the snow is a good illustration of how boring lots of these tunes are. I think the album bats like 500, but I really like its highs. We'll give it 4, rounding from 3.5 because my first listen was so much fun.

Did this inspire the "lo-fi chill beats" sound that we've been inundated with for the past decade? It certainly sounds like it did. And for that, I can't fault this album.

Not bad

Really quite forgettable and I am unsure of its place on the list 2/5

A decent record. I enjoyed the jazzier and funkier tracks. The other tracks felt disorienting or gave sensory overload. This is definitely a record to listen to when you're in a particular mood. Favourite Track(s): Angryman, Sunshine Least Favourite Track(s): Binnel Bay, Lying In The Sow

Bockt 4/5

Loungy and sunny feeling - yes listenable - yes memorable - no

This was kind of meh...it wasn't bad but it was also so melancholy but also not melancholy enough. It felt like a group with a lot of talent but that weren't really putting in effort to make me see it.

This is a bit too mellow for me. No Trophy has a cool reggae vibe. The best song on here is A Minha Menina (an Os Mutantes cover).

I hear hints of The Carpenters, The Bee Gees, definitely an Os Mutantes cover, and a general 70’s soft rock aesthetic with a large serving of late 90’s/early 00’s DIY indie. Not perfect, but nice and chill and worth giving more attention to.

The first song that really grabbed me on here was A Minha Menina, and it sounded familiar, which is funny because it's a cover by Jorge Ben, whose album we had in April. But that song isn't even on that Jorge album, so maybe I've heard it in a different setting. At any rate, it's a fun track! In general, I liked the simple, chill vibes throughout this album, but nothing totally wowed me.

"Sunshine Hit Me" is the debut album by Isle of Wight band The Bees. Indie rock is the lone Wiki-listed genre. Geez, lack of effort there. At the time of the recording, the band consisted of Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher who both played multiple instruments, were the vocalists and produced and recorded the album in a home studio in Butler's parents' garden. The album was nominated for the 2002 UK Mercury Prize. Spiraling keyboards open the album in the song "Punchbag." Horns and an organ give this a soulful vibe. Very Flaming Lips-esque at the same time. "You use me like a punch bag." "Angryman" starts out with percussion, drums and bass. A funky wah-wah guitar and we've got cod reggae. Horns, falsetto vocals and a nice groove. "An angry man needs attention." The reggae beat and factor is kicked up even more in their first single "No Trophy." Very chill. Horns again. There are 50's/60's-sounding backing vocals which are used very effectively throughout this album. For their third and final single, the band cover Os Mutanes' "A Minha Menina." Acoustic guitar, tambourines and a fuzz guitar carrying the riff. A nice cover, especially the doo-wop backing vocals. They really slow it down in "Lying in the Snow." Piano keys, drums, electric guitar and more harmonies. An underlying synth melody creates a melancholic atmosphere in this beautiful ballad. I guess this was my of 2002 UK Mercury Prize nominees-that-didn't-win week (the other one was the Doves' "The Last Broadcast") and both albums are quite good. This album successfully covers and fuses a lot of styles: soul, reggae, chill, jazz, doo-wop, 60's-sounding backing vocals and ballads. The production and mix use multiple instruments as the lead. There's also creative layering of synthesizers, piano and organ. I did not find a song I didn't like to some extent. A solid recommendation.

Boring

Lovely album, I thought it would be another album that I'd just care little for since its more obscure UK Indie pop/psychedelia, but here I think The Bees marry the styles nicely and effectively, the addition of tropicalia or more chillout type songs helps the album stay interesting to me So, yeah nice stuff, probably will grow on me as time goes on

Meh...

Such a great album, gives me warm fuzzies....

Quite liked this one.

2.36

Good, very chilled vibes I think would make good background music

Great

Houmous and Chutney, also a two piece were never arrogant enough to call themselves a band! Unlike these hooligans! 4.2 6/11 A Minha Menina

I like how sparkly and dreamy and summery this feels, the title definitely lives up to the name. Feels like it has quite a lot of jazz fusion and prog rock inspirations to me, and also some soul stuff maybe, which I love. The keyboard stuff, organs rhodes and synth stuff is really good, I sort of miss this era of 'indie' rock where people were experimenting in quite a specific ways, stuff like the Flaming lips, obviously people are still pushing the boundaries, but not in the same ways. Layered vocals are good as well. Not too many downsides, some of the vocal bits take away sometimes, I really like quite a lot of these purely as instrumentals, and I think that sometimes the vocals take away a bit. Also respect for representing the Isle of Wight, can't think of another band from there. Favourite songs: punchbag, angryman, sunshine, sweet like a champion, zia, sky holds the sun. Overall around 7/10

This one rather charmed me! Lo-fi psych, reggae, folk and every so often a horn section popped in to make me smile. Sky Holds the Sun makes me want to drink a martini in a dark hotel lounge.

ja top, zou t zelf ook wel willen spelen

Without reading the wikipedia Im going to say this band is comprised of jazz band kids that really liked Pet Sounds and Toots and the Maytals when they made this. It's easy to listen to but probably not going to be a repeat listen. It gives me a 'try hard eclectic' feeling

Not all of this was the bee's knees but it would have been intriguing enough to make me curious about hearing more from the Bees if this was my first time hearing them. It lost me a couple of times but overall it was an interesting and enjoyable listen. Their "Free the Bees" is a better album.

It's like the music promises to go somewhere, maybe ramp up, maybe tell a story but it never gets going. I imagine it was nominated for album of the year by lots of dentists that needed new reception music.

Kid: "Mum I want the Flaming Lips" Mum: "we have the Flaming Lips at home" The Flaming Lips at home....

Eh?

It was a relaxing sound, but I honestly didn't feel anything special. I think anybody proficient with a music could produce a similar quality album.

Ai että miten rento levy. Tosi letkeää indie rockia mikä hakee kyllä vaikutteita joka suunnasta. Osittain myös melankolisen tunnelmallista. Eli hyvin monipuolista siis. Parhaat: Sunshine, Lying In The Snow, Angryman, Sky Holds the Sun

Ah yes the 347th best album of 2002, on here rather than Interpol currently ranking in 2nd. The cover annoys me a little bit; the music is fine.

laid back und smooth wie in den 60/70ern, aber nach 2.5x hören geht es in den hintergrund ..

Schwer einzuordnen, aber gefälliges easy listening

Nice vibes really

Another strange choice for this list. I couldn't wait for this to end, then realized I had lost 20 more minutes to Apple Play's "extended release" version.

Not sure which is worse, the music or the album art

3.8 Quite enjoyed that. Reminded a bit of the beta band, but with less of an experimental focus and more of a genre shifting focus. The genre shifting inevitably meant there were a few weak ones in there, but I saved around 5 down and all 5 were pretty solid. Not bad for a third listen through.

2/5. It just feels not very self realized, like just a collection of okay songs with not much feeling there. It is impressive it is just two guys but it's not interesting enough to be worth the listen in my opinion. It's gentle and quiet but there is a way to do that while still being impactful, they don't seem to achieve that here, save maybe a few songs. I'll give it the benefit of not being bad, just not good really. Best Song: A Minha Menina, Zia, Punchbag

Didn't know the album besides their most famous song. Quite a surprise

M'eh

Chilled but nothing outstanding for me

More mid British bullshit? Hot diggity! 2.5

3.5 rounded down. Listened twice actually. Many genres here. Unique sound.

I wish I had discovered this album back in the early 2000s, because I would have absolutely loved it, since this was exactly the kind of style I was seeking out at the time. It’s a really well-balanced mix of indie pop and neo-psychedelia, with clear influences from the Beatles and the Beach Boys, and even a cover of Os Mutantes. There were also moments that reminded me a lot of Moon Safari by Air, or the kind of sounds being released by Ninja Tune Records around that era. It’s laid-back, breezy, and definitely a gem I’m glad to have finally come across.

Genre bending and eclectic while also being tuneful and approachable. This is the reason you do this list, for when you find an album you’ve never heard of that blows you away

This sounds like British White Guys who listened to too much D’Angelo.

Schwerig z entscheide. S meischte esch halt eifach ergendwelchi Lo-Fi-Hendergrondmusig ond taugt au ned als vel meh als das. Trotzdem send This Town ond vorallem A Minha Menina scho rächti Banger.

I quite enjoyed this eclectic blend of throwback, 2000s white boy funk meets trip hop with some Beach Boys thrown in for good measure. While I wasn't too blown away by any one song here, the album made for a nice listen on a Monday morning.

The answers to the questions "Could I have peacefully shuffled off this mortal coil without hearing these 40 minutes?" and "Is this a pleasant, chilled-out listen with some solid harmonies and interesting influences?" are both "Yes."

Good but very forgettable

Pluss: Under 40 minutter. Minus: WTAF???? Et gjennomført elendig album på alle måter!

Right out of the gate I was attached to the beat, the vocals - nice Beatles'esque sounds/harmonies. It's also got some 70's style organs and mood. After a few songs, it turns into smooth jazz. Not bad. Glad to hear it.

Very comfy and a bit sad. The vocals are a high point.

Indie rock lo-fi de los 2000, típico de su época aunque hecho con muy buen gusto. Muchos instrumentos que forman una amalgama onírica de sonidos que dan muy buena vibra y que no chirrían en ningún momento. Wikipedia define el álbum como "ecléctico y veraniego", y creo que lo define perfectamente. Además de ser una música fácil de escuchar y relajante, la producción sencilla de dormitorio le da un toque aún más etéreo. De vez en cuando hay algunos toques reggae o funk que lo hacen más interesante y que nunca llegan a dominar sobre el resto. No será un álbum revolucionario, y definitivamente no merece estar en esta lista (de hecho fue eliminado en las ediciones más nuevas del libro), pero me ha gustado mucho.

Fun grooves. Really liked it. Surprised I missed this band when they happened.

Totally poptastic

Impressive (both musically and quality wise) that 2 people managed to record this in a garage.

Just a good bit of light fun

Was interested on first listen but ended up feeling a little average. 2.5

Good album, there was so much variety in their sound. I went out of my way to listen to their other stuff to see how their music had evolved and I’m glad I did they got a lot of good songs.

Snooze fest...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Beatleseque

Not really a fan. Maybe in a different setting, but I did not get the vibe while listening in my car.

Really enjoyed it! Definitely reminded me of the Beatles, but in much better way than that other album

Good chill vibes. Would study to it for sure

I've got mixed feelings on this. I enjoyed some of it, very chill. It was not the right album to wake up to and hit the gym with, so I listened to maybe the last 75% after while I had my coffee. I enjoyed it way more at that point. "Lying in the snow" was like the Beatles meeting Beach House. I really liked it. Overall, not exactly my style, but I can appreciate it. The back half was better than the front. Not bad for the summer. Probably not bad with hallucinogenics, either.

Not bad but not memorable at all.

Sets the right mood on a sunny day.

This was really a pleasant surprise. They have a sort of lounge-y, retro pop vibe. It’s perfect for relaxing mornings with a book and coffee.

Pretty good, like all the experimental sounds. A little slow for me.

I think this is what 1001 albums is about - finding unique music that I had never heard before. I mean, it's great when I hear me some Led Zeppelin or something like that, but finding new music - yes please.

2.7/moderately enjoyable, chill grooves but nothing memorable

- fin, sommerlig sound - imponerende bra med under 100k monthly listens - elsker coveret

It's funky and different. Clearly some English colonialism playing a role in this album, snatching different ideas and genres from other cultures and putting a British spin on it. It doesn't work for all of it, but some of these songs are actually really quite good. The songs that work well are really freaking good. I don't normally do this with albums that I listen to from here, but I've added a couple of songs to my own personal playlists. The songs that don't really work well, though just kind of fall flat. It makes the album as a whole really hit or miss depending on the track. "Sky Holds the Sun" joined my playlist of favorite songs, though. So, while the whole album isn't special, there are definitely special moments within that make it worthwhile to listen to. Favorite Song(s): Punchbag, Sunshine, Sky Holds the Sun

Never heard of The Bees. This didn't hit me at all but I didn't hate. It was just okay.

Not a bad album by any means but felt more experimental than “must hear before you die”. I liked the song “A Minha Menina” the best, although acknowledge that this is a cover. The band feels a bit like Fleet Foxes but funkier, might return to some of the songs but no guarantees. I reckon it might grow on me but it’s not an automatic winner for me.

2/5 good background music. Not too catchy

I was on my daily commute to work and I was feeling as though I needed a small nap so, after finishing some nondescript album, I put this on and shut my eyes so I've no recollection of the first two songs. The rest of the songs on here? I found myself to be on the spectrum of being both pleasantly surprised and somewhat at a loss in regards to the product. Dub flirtations mingled with hazy, imperceptible jingles and a cover of a Tropicalia staple to boot. One thing is for certain: these bees are harmless, they don't sting. Favorites: No Trophy, Sunshine, A Minha Menina, This Town, Sweet Like a Champion, Zia, Sky Holds the Sun.

Chill and a little foggy. Not memorable, but fine for getting work done.

I came around to it by the end. Very chill and I like it for that.

This strikes me as a couple of dudes just kinda messing around, doing weird stuff and experimenting with their sound. Maybe that's the lo-fi talking. I dig it a lot. Is it a must listen, maybe not, but am I glad I listened to it definitely yes. I'll put this on again

Album for a chill lofi Sunday

3.8 2x not what i was expecting but i enjoyed the instrumental only style

Keskiverto! Muutama hauska biisi. 2/5

vähän tylsäksi jäävä genresekoitus. on vaikea nähdä, miksi tämä levy on listalla kun tietää, mitä kaikkea jäi sen ulkopuolelle. onko tämä tosiaan niin merkittävä? 2/5

man I was all geared up to dislike this but it turned out pretty enjoyable. The turning point was A Minha Menina, everything else just kinda fell into place. Also there is a nice variation of songs here too, although at times it can be a bit too melancholy for me.

Well colour me surprised! An unknown (to me) British album that’s actually good and not just shitty indie rock. These folks are actually creative!

Chill and eclectic. Some of it's really good, others not so much.

Lighthearted, but nothing terribly special.

3/4

Pleasant, but pretty forgettable too

Love this one and I’m gonna save it. Good sounds all around and I think Collin would like it too! Would listen again

Inoffensive indie band

Another 1 or 2 star forgettable brit-pop album. Gave it two stars as it was never annoying enough that I was like what is this garbage but never interesting enough that I noticed it as more than background music.

Never heard this but this is a vibe

Not a fan of the singer at times, but the music was fine and occasionally bordered on good. 3/5

Солнечное дерьмо

Pleasantly inoffensive summer vibes. Best song is the Os Mutantes cover. The sort of album that you could put on at a barbecue and not upset anyone.

I'd say The bees are pretty standard for indie rock, i didn't really get anything too much special out of them, but like, def not a bad experience at all !!! must listen to fans of the genre tho

Kind of chill, kind of alright. No idea why it was included, maybe one of the writers was like man, I really love this chill album. Good for a lounging summers day but not groundbreaking.

354/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

This was solid. Felt more like a collection of songs and styles than an album. It was driving me crazy where I’d heard A Minha Menina before and turns out it was the Os Mutantes album. I liked the reggae sounding stuff on here.

Innocuous but unnecessary for this list.

This was interesting mix of genres but I'd hardly call it essential. Very 2000s vibes.

I had a hard time caring about this album at all, or taking it very seriously

pretty decent. not super memorable. instrumentation was good! more of a background track to what i was doing tbh. didn’t distract me at all (which doesn’t bode well for my rating). 2/5.

It's one of those albums that feels like listening to nothing. It didn't bother at all, but it didn't do anything for me either.

Es ist eine eklektische Mischung aus Psychedelic, Funk und Indie-Rock. Während die Band mit ihrer vielseitigen Instrumentierung und sonnendurchfluteten Atmosphäre einige interessante Momente schafft, bleibt das Album insgesamt hinter seinen Möglichkeiten zurück und enttäuscht.

Sounds like the album playing in the background in a chill empty bar at 4pm on a Tuesday.

Mooi dat er af en toe nog iets langskomt wat me echt helemaal niks zegt. Vaak is dan helaas wel de conclusie dat ik begrijp waarom de artiest me is ontgaan. In dit geval was er iets meer waardering, vooral omdat het best wel een eclectische plaat is die les trekt uit allerlei uithoeken van de wereldmuziek, waar het soms leunt naar Braziliaanse psychedelica, en dan weer naar Ethiopische jazz. Maar het weet ook niet echt een prettige middle ground te vinden, waardoor het nauwelijks een samenhangend geheel is. En alhoewel ik best heb genoten van de verscheidenheid, mis ik ook wel 'hits' die ervoor zorgen dat ik deze plaat nogmaals opzet. Geinige ontdekking, maar denk niet dat ik er veel mee ga doen. 6/10

Niet slecht. Begint als iets wat echt klinkt als begin zeroes indie. In lijn met the Postal Service en Death Van for Cutie etc. Daarna wordt het gewoon saai. Lange synth noten wiegt de luisteraar langzaam in slaap. Next please! 5/10

Chill, interesting songs. Back half less good than front, but was happy to listen to this album, hadn't heard of The Bees. Standouts: A Minha Menina (WPRB concert calendar song!), Punchbag, Angryman

Интересный альбом

Listing off all the advertisements your album's songs have been featured on in the Wikipedia article is not something that gives me much hope for this thing. Never heard of the band before today. The description in the article worries me. Gonna give it an honest shot, though my expectations are low going into it. Punchbag Laid back indie vibes. Don't love the watery piano riff in the background. Interesting vocal layering. A bit predictable, but doesn't really do anything wrong per se. Nothing special, but pleasant enough. Fine. 3/5 Angryman Cute bassline. Cool percussion. Hate the vocals. The instrumental saves the track, it's rhythmic and varied. Dub-adjacent with the bass, jazzy keys and sax. Decent. 3.5/5 No Trophy Cloudy and drowned out production style. Feels oddly cold and distant. A bit of a nothing-burger of a song. Doesn't really excel at anything. Average. 2.5/5 Binnel Bay The musical box style intro is a bit too drawn out. I like the idea of the vocals, but I don't like the instrumental, would've preferred something harsher and noisier to go with the lyrics. The contrast between the dour vocals and the chirpy instrumental doesn't work, leaving the track lacking any sort of effect. Feels misaligned. Average. 2.5/5 Sunshine Cute effects. Creates an almost underwater atmosphere. There's definitely some depth to the sound of this track, borrowing heavily from psychedelia. Love the delays, the reverby drums and the general haziness of the track. Almost a bit jazzy at times. A full and broad sounding song with a lot of colour. Great. 4.5/5 A Minha Menina Stereotypical indie guitars. Appriciate the harsher sound. Not a fan of the vocals. Has some catchiness to it. Fine. 3/5 This Town Pleasant misanthropic indie tune with some cool effects going on. A bit generic, but the lyrics are just relatable enough, and the instrumental has just enough interesting elements to it that it ends up being pretty alright. Unique for the tracklist at least. Decent. 3.5/5 Sweet Like A Champion Feels a bit ominous with the close and personal feeling layered vocals, the jangly guitar and the spooky organ. Has a creepy factor to it with the perspective of lyrics being in second person for the majority of the track's runtime. Good. 4/5 Lying in the Snow I like the delayed reverby sound and the floaty style of the track. Though the slow tempo sort of drags there is some beauty to be found in the instrumental. Just wish it built up to something a bit more climatic and satisfying. Leaves you with feeling like it's a snippet of something much bigger picture, like there should be something more to it. Fine. 3/5 Zia Pleasants, but starts off sounding like an interlude. Can't help but finding this definitely competent, but sort of directionless and noodly piano playing over a stale beat to be a bit boring. The playing is good, but not so exceptionally groundbreaking that it needed an entire track. Average. 2.5/5 Sky Holds the Sun Sleepy late night vibe. Has a slight jazzy edge. Feels intimate and warm. I found the mellow vibe to be quite a safe and effective closer for an album which went through such stylistic diversity. Decent. 3.5/5 Not anything outstanding, but has its moments. It's definitely varied with a dynamic tracklist that has its surprises allowing different genres and styles to come through. This constant shifting of styles do however cause the album to lack some consistency, where as it feels as if their focus is mainly on filling it out with as many quirky and different ideas as possible at the detriment of the individual tracks' quality. Generally not a fan of the vocals, and the production is honestly pretty rough at times. I also feel like it lacks a standout moment which really showcases their style. Too many of the songs are just pleasant, or in other words just fine leaving you with very few memorable pieces to look back upon. It's an okay piece of indie music, but I can't for the life of me figure out how it landed on this list. Can't say it has enough going for it to justify it's conclusion, though I can say it ended up being a decent listen regardless. 3/5 Fave track. Sunshine Least fave track. Binnel Bay

So light and summery it becomes insubstantial

Мне зашла ровно одна песня. Ай гесс, сейчас это мой минимальный критерий для тройки