A Band of Bees - Octopus

$15.98 (list price), Psychedelic Jam Pop, Astralwerks

Basic Story: The third album from Isle of Wight’s A Band of Bees pushes them slightly closer towards jam band material while maintaining traces of throwback psychedelia.

Sample: “Lost to the swell/ stand and deliver/ my coins in the well/ arrows in my quiver/ is there any love in the harbour?”

Verdict: The summer is here and it’s hard to imagine a better season to see the release of this album. With its free spiritedness and rhythmic grooves, Octopus takes you back in time to a place that looks and sounds a lot like San Francisco in the late 60s. For all you hipsters, fear not. The jam band aspect is subtle and non-threatening. Occasionally the band slows things down a bit, like on the soul flavored standout “Listening Man,” which sees singer Paul Butler doing his best Sam Cooke impression. Yes, these are kind bees, far more concerned with the sweetness of their honey than trying to sting anyone.