I am really impressed that they are still making albums like this.
Hedvig Mollestad on guitar, with Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad on drums are a power trio in the old sense of the term with the riffs on opener “See See Bop” truly heavy and distorted. They ply a slow, boogie rhythm with an epic ’70s production that brings to mind ZZ Top with that kind of Southern-fried sound, but blown through with noise. It has a sexy swing with blizzards of feedback scree that erupts when least expected and really sets out their stall.
This line -up has been in place for the best part of fifteen years and Bees In The Bonnet is their eighth album, but there is no danger of them losing interest. Over six long tracks the trio stretch the format to suit their whims, with the circular riffs of “Golden Griffin” being like a jazz Van Halen.The drums are truly powerful and set a stately beat as Hedvig shows off her neck-throttling shred while the athletic bass urges things to progress. There are moments where the guitar tone changes, becoming bluffer and it sounds as though the pickups are struggling to contain the outbursts.
“Itta” has more of a post-punk kind of vibe, with shards of guitar chords over a dense bassline. There is a harsh edge that moves awkwardly but is ever-circling, aiming for some faraway place that is never quite reached. In fact, the trajectory of the album definitely changes as the ideas start to spread out. “Bob’s Your Giddy Aunt” is a slower, more abstract piece with the drums shuddering and shaking as the guitar strings wail. The beat is sultry as the guitar trembles and vibrates, the mean riffing the antithesis of the dreamy hesitancy of “Lamament”. There is a jazzy deftness to the considered bass, with e-bow notes hovering in the ether.The final track, “Apocalypse Slow” has the drums pushing on, eager for a conclusion; the staccato rhythm and broad washes of guitar give an impressionistic feel, a messy sound that splashes across the obsessive tightness of the bass. It is a great juxtaposition that highlights the intuitive interplay between the three and I couldn’t help but revel in the final coruscating guitar noise that sees the album out.
There is so much verve in this album and the way they take an familiar format and run rings around our preconceptions is testament to their skill and sense of adventure.-Mr Olivetti-
