1,001 Albums Project #11: “Sunshine Hit Me” by The Bees (2002)
By: Adam Ashforth
Tags: Music, Summer, Dmt, Album Review, Britain

1,001 Albums Project #11: “Sunshine Hit Me” by The Bees (2002)

“Sunshine Hit Me” by The Bees (2002)

Out of the 11 albums I’ve listened to from the “1,001 Albums… Before You Die” book, this one feels like the first true “gem” to me. Sunshine Hit Me is not quite funk, it’s not pop, it’s not jazz, it’s not electronica, it’s not reggae, country, or any kind of exotic world music. And yet, it is all of these things; it effortlessly fits somewhere in between all these genres by unpredictably weaving in and out of an endless pallet of tonal colors and cultural flavors. The SOUND is so rich and each track is completely different from the last. This “genre chameleon” vibe reminded me a bit of Beck, especially his Mutations record.

Summary

The first half of the album is propelled by two incredible leadoff tracks, “Punchbag” and “Angry Man”. These are two electro-funk numbers with deep, infectious grooves dripping with sweet electric keys, and topped with fun, falsetto hooks. The vibe dramatically cools into the next two tracks. “No Trophy” utilizes a “reggae-dub-meets-The-Beach-Boys” feel, while “Binnel Bay” features an almost Afro-Cuban rhythm dominated by the dreamy sounds of the kalimba.

Rounding out the record’s first side are “Sunshine” and “A Minha Menina”. The former, sporting a 6/8 groove thickly layered with a variety of keys ranging from a tremolo Rhodes sound to a crystal clean piano, which contrasts greatly with the dirty and filtered drums. “A Minha Menina” is a cover from the band “O’s Mutantes” self-titled album - which also happens to be included in the book 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!

The second half of the album significantly downshifts in energy, but is still gripping in a different way. It took me a few focused listens of side B (tracks 7–11) to appreciate it more. The standouts for me are “This Town” and “Sky Holds the Sun” which is the perfect album closer.

Fun Fact

This album was recorded by just two people: Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher.

WEIRD FACT

[From Wikipedia]

“One of the influences the Bees have cited is the mind-altering drink called ayahuasca. Butler came to drink this plant medicine with shamans in Peru after being introduced to it by Banhart. “The whole thing has brought a lot of joy into my life. I think this kind of cleansing helps with your natural rhythm. Everyone has a song within them or a rhythm that is individual and personal only to you … and this kind of activity unlocks that.’”

I looked up “ayahuasca” and it’s basically DMT. Can you imagine bees on DMT in real life?

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Parting thoughts

I love this album and I’m just kinda surprised I have never heard anything from The Bees before. They never appeared to have a “breakthrough” moment which launched them into the mainstream. However, they have managed to stay somewhat relevant through the years. In 2011, they secured the opener slot in Fleet Foxes’ UK Tour.

The term “summer jamz” is thrown around all too often these days and has earned a bit of a negative connotation, mostly due to its association with extremely annoying & catchy 120bpm techno pop “breakup songs” packed with millennial whoops and Brittany-Spears-key-changes. But to me, Sunshine Hits Me is a collection of true “summer jams” in the purest, and most dynamic sense of the term. It’s just warm, groovy, without relying on excessive cheeriness or soap-opera-sadness.

Would I Listen To This Album Again?

Definitely.

Bonus Album Recommendation:

“Best Reason To Buy The Sun” — Benevento/Russo Duo (2005)

This album basically changed my life. I bought it at a “Sam Goody” liquidation sale at a Dayton Ohio mall whilst on a high school drumline trip. The album cover looked cool and I was intrigued at the fact the band was a duo (just like The Bees!)— I remember thinking: “How much can sound can two people really make anyways?”

Marco Benevento (Organ/Piano/Keyboards) and Joe Russo (Drums) have a musical chemistry that has remained unparalleled to any other duo project I’ve ever heard. There’s a shared “jazz foundation” rooted in their approaches to their instruments, but they weaponize this “jazz touch” to create very un-jazzy music. There’s an overused saying that goes, “if you can play jazz, you can play anything”. While I don’t believe that’s 100% true at face value, this record is certainly a testament to that idea.

The variety of key sounds, drum patterns, genres, and the fact that the band is a two-piece, are basically the extent of the similarities between Best Reason to Buy the Sun and Sunshine Hit Me. This is an instrumental album, so it is far less “songwriting” driven. However, there are still clear melodies and song forms that guide the improvisatory chaos that ensues between Benevento and Ruso.

Unfortunately, the band did did not stay together much longer after this album. Marco Benevento still does solo stuff and Joe Russo remains an accomplished session drummer, who played on the latest Cass McCombs record, I think. This band was special though and I hope they reunite someday.

Track Highlights

9x9

Sunny’s Song

Scratchitti

My Pet Goat

Next Album on the Docket from the Book: “1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”: