Okay, so I know we're already planning The Next Album (and thanks, by the way, for all your input in what you think we should record next. It looks so far like Robot Ghosts is in the lead. Keep 'em coming!) But I'm curious what people think of Beehive Sessions. If you already have it, and you've heard it, whaddiya think? What's your favorite song? What does it make you think of when you listen to it? We spent over a year working on it. I'm curious what people think!! Oh, and what about the special features?
Oh, and by the way, they've played a couple different songs on KEXP now. Isn't that cool? I totally don't regret sacrificing that goat and making that deal with the devil. It's totally worth it! That's not to say that your friendly requests don't help the cause...
-David
P.S. I hurt my neck so tonight I took some old percoset I had lying around. Then I laid in bed watched Sense & Sensibility -- the Emma Thompson one. Percoset & Jane Austen: recommended!
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5 comments:
favorite: Anthem!
what band has a f@!king string section?!
special features? huh?
You should only release Robot Ghost first if it is accompanied by a video entirely consisting of Rob playing the Egg. Not that new contraption thing he has going on, either. Just...the Egg.
Oh yes, and you know which song's my favorite on "BS". I know you know.
This past week was the first time I heard Beehive Sessions on headphones - mindblowing.
Here are my stand-outs:
The first time I ever heard "Telephone" I couldn't stop thinking about it. No lie. That song is solid like a rock and rock it does. Catchy as hell. If that song played just once on a drive time radio station at 6PM there would be a rash of calls demanding to know who that was.
"Anthem" is a song tailor made for listening to on an open plain, and then when the strings get going and it whips into a frenzy, all you want to do is run at super-human speed Superman-style across the plain until you start to fly. That's just me though.
"Shape Song" is especially sweet. I love the build of the string "jugga-jug-jugga-jug-jug..." in the background. I'm a sucker for subtle driving strings. Lovely all-around, especially nice work from Kirk Anderson.
"Sherrie" is this year's fun, hand-clapping, good-time stocking stuffer for gals named Sherrie.
"Cell Song" is quintissential "Awesome" - a song with a scientific lesson wrapped in the honey voiced (pun intended) Evan Mosher.
"Beehive" is the perfect example of what I think "Awesome" are all about: a song that builds into a place you never expected it to go guided by meticulously melting gorgeous harmonies and then it absolutely flies out to the stratosphere and then comes back to a single lick on one banjo. I listened to this song five times in a row the other night to catch all the layers. It's so beautiful.
"Awesome" are masters at building a song. They have blue prints, chemistry, know how and man power. They create sounds that have always meant to play together brilliantly but have just not had the chance to play together before. "Awesome" is so completely original.
"Beehive Sessions" is #1 on my gift-giving list for a lot of people.
Congratulations Band. It's a fantastic album.
-Jordi in Portland
I can't stop loving it. I just listened to it again today and yet again was floored. Something else gets me each time I listen. I'm glad the songs aren't just clones of your live style.
Also, a little off the topic, I loved the stylistic play (the up-tempo Cell Song/Delaware medley espescially) at the Reverb show. I don't know if that was just you guys trying to stay warm and get off stage quicker, but it's good to see you're not resting on your laurels after Beehive Sessions. I'm glad I was one of the three people standing out in the cold for that show.
Of course you have the the cool tracks that stand out right away such as "Telephone", "the Shape Song", "Ones and Zeros" "Anthem" (who knew singing the alphabet could be so much fun?!).
The whole album is so great and I'd especially like to comment on the following tunes.
Buddah Nature: A great mix of what I call "sweet and salty". Starts really gleefully with the banjo, then the dark clouds roll in with the bassist (who is that talented guy?) and cools vocal harmonies. Then just when you think you're screwed (police sirens), the sun comes back out (banjo) and all the previous themes come together for a nice "all together now" jam session. Well done!
Memory Leak: Starts out calm but has a nice surprise at the end when the guitar (?) picks up a more driving beat and the clarinet and muted trumpet call and answer for the remainder.
Sherrie: Just barely over a minute and dammit I want more! I really appreciate the connection between the words and the off-key vocals ("since you've been gone I feel out of tune and sounding wrong") and still cringe at this part every time. Also, the arpeggios in the middle remind me of an old keyboard I had as a kid. Rad.
Cell Song: So of course, being the trusting fan that I am, I take this song to be 100% based on truth. [This is what I did for the Delaware album. It was only just last week that I took the time to look at Delaware on a map and realized that it's not really in the shape of a melting woman.] So until I get off my butt and look up this "cell that never dies, changes, or regenerates", I just take the band at their word.
All in all I rate this album 11/10 (this one goes to eleven!)
Keep up the super work, eh?!
- (North) East Coast Fan
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