The surrealistic, slippery "Beebe" by the artfully obtuse indie rock band Beekeeper Spaceman moves on percussive glitches and a paternalistic bass line that rests on your shoulder, a comfortable presence guiding you down sonic rabbit holes. That is a good thing because other sonic cues feel sinisterly dark like the bending ascensions of sounds in between a Mellotron and Theremin. The carnival mirror aesthetic extends to electric guitar picking that pushes against dissonant places. The vocal guide through this midnight wonkiness feels incredibly artful and also comforting but mischievous too. The voice of primary songwriter, singer, guitarist Greg Brownderville basically sounds so cool that you would follow him into an dark void. The overall aesthetic here, courtesy of Beekeeper Spaceman's other half, producer and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kenney feels art rock classic. His adept hand at sorting out all the aspects or sound here is truly magnetic. Love the spatial things happening, the fact that you can clearly hear the vox and backing vox, the upfront beat that pushes a well balanced EQ along allowing us to revel in every nuance. I, for whatever reason, feel an amalgam of artists like Space and Radiohead (circa mid 90's).
Spencer Kenney shares the dark inspiration of the song:
“‘Beebe‘ is a song that sparks inspiration in you when you hear it. Part of that is the backstory behind the name. I spent some time reading different local news articles about the birds that fell from the sky in Beebe, Arkansas, the unsolved mystery staying with me in the back of my mind. The result was an interesting mix of the catchy and almost bouncing beat with the brooding textures and harmonies that float on top. There are a lot of golden moments in this tune, but the one that stood out for the both of us was the almost triumphant guitar melody at the end as Greg sings ‘and I fade away . . .'"
LINER NOTES:
https://www.instagram.com/beekeeperspaceman/
https://vol1brooklyn.com/2021/02/19/strange-at-home-an-interview-with-greg-brownderville/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3vBScOMg8Ey4UxJLZuBgDO
[Born out of an online multimedia project called Fire Bones, the duo—primary songwriter/ singer/guitarist Greg Brownderville and producer/multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kenney—have shared bills with artists like Erykah Badu, Leon Bridges, Shakey Graves and Black Pumas, and have been lauded in both local music outlets (Dallas Observer, Central Track) and national literary publications (Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Virginia Quarterly Review, LITHUB). Brownderville is editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Southwest Review and author of three books of poetry, while Kenney fronts a solo electro-pop project under his own name and is involved with a variety of acts on the Dallas-based Dolfin Records label.]
In the end, "Beebe" by Beekeeper Spaceman might feel like an urban legend haunting you in the middle of the night. A journey thankfully lead by a provocative duo.
Beekeeper Spaceman's self titled album drops November 3rd, 2023.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/beekeeperspaceman/
https://vol1brooklyn.com/2021/02/19/strange-at-home-an-interview-with-greg-brownderville/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3vBScOMg8Ey4UxJLZuBgDO
https://www.facebook.com/BeekeeperSpaceman
Like its sprawling hometown of Dallas, Texas, cinematic indie rock band Beekeeper Spaceman’s self-titled debut album evokes a never-ending collision between bucolic bygones and the urban present.
Born out of an online multimedia project called Fire Bones, the duo—primary songwriter/ singer/guitarist Greg Brownderville and producer/multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kenney—have shared bills with artists like Erykah Badu, Leon Bridges, Shakey Graves and Black Pumas, and have been lauded in both local music outlets (Dallas Observer, Central Track) and national literary publications (Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Virginia Quarterly Review, LITHUB). Brownderville is editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Southwest Review and author of three books of poetry, while Kenney fronts a solo electro-pop project under his own name and is involved with a variety of acts on the Dallas-based Dolfin Records label.
Like its sprawling hometown of Dallas, Texas, cinematic indie rock band Beekeeper Spaceman’s self-titled debut album evokes a never-ending collision between bucolic bygones and the urban present.
Born out of an online multimedia project called Fire Bones, the duo—primary songwriter/ singer/guitarist Greg Brownderville and producer/multi-instrumentalist Spencer Kenney—have shared bills with artists like Erykah Badu, Leon Bridges, Shakey Graves and Black Pumas, and have been lauded in both local music outlets (Dallas Observer, Central Track) and national literary publications (Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Virginia Quarterly Review, LITHUB). Brownderville is editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Southwest Review and author of three books of poetry, while Kenney fronts a solo electro-pop project under his own name and is involved with a variety of acts on the Dallas-based Dolfin Records label.
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