Spirit of the Beehive - An Immersive Listening Experience Worth Having.
Written by Alex Bamforth
The first time I heard Natural Devotion my ears were instantly hooked. From the catchy notes the lead guitar rings throughout the verse to the slight quiver in lead singer Zack Schwartz’s voice. I listened tentatively, trying to catch the spoken word lyrics that are delivered like you’re in casual conversation with him. They’re a whisker away from being drowned out by the guitar but it sits just right. The song descends into a sluggish chorus in which the vocals sit atop those dreamy, fuzz-laden guitars that drive the song onwards until a swirling guitar lead amid lazy reverb-soaked drums see the song out. Natural Devotion showcases Spirit of the Beehives’ dynamic. A dynamic that stems from their early grunge and shoegaze sound that they have since developed into much, much more.
The band’s first album, Spirit of the Beehive (2014), exemplifies their ability to write songs that exhibit the hard hitting attributes of a grunge track, yet feature the catchy melodies of an indie song. Songs like Tulsa OK and Fever Dream still stand up in their back catalogue years later without sounding outdated compared to more recent releases. Their second release, You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated) (2016), saw them develop the benchmark for their unique style. There are moments which radiate the chaotic energy the band can seemingly descend into at the snap of a finger. Just as easily they create moments of hazy elation. The songs are immersive and draw your attention into each and every aspect, no matter how small.
Their second full length release came in the form of Pleasure Suck (2017). It’s a capitalisation of the band’s unique recipe, one that set them comfortably apart from other bands with a similar sound. A hectic guitar riff transitioning seamlessly into cascading melodies that sit atop a collage of samples meticulously pieced together. Different instruments, sounds and samples are panned dizzyingly throughout the record. There’s little respite on Pleasure Suck. A catchy verse can descend into madness and a song never leads to its expected destination. It’s not for everyone but it’s an experience like no other. Schwartz recently declared in an interview with Fender that they’re ‘not a singles band’. Their songs aren’t there to be played separately but together in the order they’ve been assigned, otherwise it takes much away from a recyclable and exciting experience. Spirit of the Beehive was truly onto something at this point in their career.
Spirit of the Beehive’s third album, Hypnic Jerks (2018) follows the suit of Pleasure Suck. It’s an album that demands to be listened to from start to finish without interruption. It’s an album to get lost in, an experience to completely immerse yourself in. Enjoy the cascading guitars of fell asleep with a vision whilst you can because you will soon plunge into the hyperactive can i receive the contact? But it doesn’t last long. You’ll soon find yourself cruising into the lulling sense of serenity that poly swim offers. In true Spirit of the Beehive fashion we’re snapped out of that dreamlike state. The album is aptly named because it perfectly embodies the sense of a hypnic jerk; as complete calm takes over and sleep nears, you’re quickly pulled back to full consciousness. Just as the album settles into d.o.u.b.l.e.u.r.o.n.g. it takes you into (without you) in my pocket in the blink of an eye. Spirit of the Beehive don’t hand you their ideas on a plate, they give you the ingredients and say ‘make of it what you will’.
Their latest release ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH (2021) can easily be described as a culmination of all the band have achieved in the past few years. It features the dizzying heights that You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated) and Pleasure Suck reached as well as the seamless immersiveness of Hypnic Jerks. It’s progression alongside achievement and it’s a statement that declares there is much more still to come from this dynamic act. It incorporates the band's hazy disjointed indie pop with the fuzz drenched guitars, turning them into an audio hallucination that can only be brought on by a concoction of speed and ecstasy. There are the intertwined swirling melodies of members Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede and Corey Wichlin that create moments of sombre elation layered with the unrelenting synths and pulsating drums.
It doesn’t matter where you begin with Spirit of the Beehive, their music is there to be listened to with or without much thought. It’s an experience worth having whether you enjoy it or not, whether you give yourself an aneurysm trying to understand how they do what they do, I think it’s worth it. You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram or stream their music via Bandcamp.
