8 / 10
The Bees may be two pale souls from the Isle Of Wight (namely Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher), but their adopted musical heritage stretches all the way to Jamaica, Motown and the swamps of New Orleans.
There are teething problems. The polite gumbo-ska of 'No Trophy' suggests it may be a while yet before Cowes weekend is ransacked by militant Bees-inspired reggae-ista's, while the overall off-beam ramshackle-ness will scare off those who entered these waters with the The Beta Band's first album and vowed never to return.
Minor quibbles. When The Bees hit the target, as on domestic-violence lament 'Angryman; and the glacial funk of 'Sweet Like A Champion' the ghosts of everyone from JJ Cale to Hall & Oates to the Stone Roses enter the room.
Comedown dole-funk to watch the sunrise to doesn't get any better.
Jason Fox
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