She Keeps Bees // Eight Houses
This will be an album that I will be revisiting for some time.
She Keeps Bees is another one of those pesky blues-rock duos, not dissimilar to White Stripes but that description doesn’t do it full justice.Guitarist and song-writer Jessica Larrabee accepts comparisons between her voice and Cat Power's. The voice and songs also recall Patti Smith circa Gone Again and the PJ Harvey of Stories From The City. Along with guests including Sharon van Etten and Adam Schatz, Larrabee’s partner Andy LaPlant provides hard-hitting but sensitive rhythm. The restrained Zep rock of Breezy, the Alannah Myles' Black Velvet covered by the Kills feel of Both Sides and voice and piano ballad Burning Bowl are well worth a listen but the pulsing Wasichu is the highlight. Overall, a good set of songs but the playing is just too reserved for this to fully hit the spot. Now live, it could be a different proposition. Whatever, this will be an album that I will be revisiting for some time.
7.5/10
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