Bees

This group is the brainchild of Peter Andreadis. There are a lot of keyboard and effects used, but at the core is a string of very well-crafted pop songs with the singer bringing someone like XTC's Andy Partridge, Neil Finn or Ray Davies to mind. "Send Yourself to Work" is a tight and lovely pop tune that has some subtle layers added to it. From there, All City Affairs move south to the islands for the slow reggae groove fuelling "Fake Soul Singer," which is extremely easy on the ears. Meanwhile, "Man of Modern Times" is teeming with catchy electro-pop hooks that run the genre gamut. Although some of these tracks are quirky and sometimes jerky, they are well-worth replaying, especially the adventurous and infectious "Accidental Death of a High School Football Player." At other times, Andreadis nails gentle pop gems such as "Fuss and Fight" with its Beatles flavoring. The lone tune that could be considered worthy of being a single is the winding title track with bees buzzing about. Another surprisingly sweet pop jewel has to be the sugar-coated "Grease Up the Rod" which brings Crowded House to mind. The same can be said for the inviting and polished "Almighty Dollar."