“We are old souls, you push I pull, we mapped our stars, in the bleeding dark.
You rowed and whaled, I sewed the sails, on the only ship worth sinking in.”
Ringing in spring with a sound comparable to Modest Mouse and Cold War Kids is the newest release from Missouri’s Me Like Bees, an EP titled There Will Be Time. With a brassy, bouncy, but down to earth style, this indie-rock quartet is worth watching over the next year or two.
This vibrant EP is rich with flavor and beat, especially on the blues-rock-esque “Hymns and Blues.” No matter what, there’s a pull to tap your feet on nearly every track. “Tundraland” is one of the standouts–it’s got body, plus enough sonic sunshine to shake off any residual winter gloom. The lyric “Baby, don’t worry / I’m in no hurry” even embodies the general mood here, and maybe encourages the listener to spend a little time with these songs. In three minutes, prepare to be engulfed in one of the catchiest hooks on the entire release. The EP only pauses for breath with the slower title track “There Will Be Time.” Combining delicate guitar and vocals, the song infuses a sense of poignancy that leaves the listener with a lingering feeling of bittersweetness.
Me Like Bees are best at combining all your favorite elements of addictive alternative–the rhythmic undercurrent guitar of indie rock that tugs you into motion, and the tiny pop flourishes that add bursts of color to their style. In a sea of similarity in the genre, Me Like Bees are making something a little different.
Buy It, Stream It or Skip It?: Buy It. You’ll want to have this handful of songs around, even when there isn’t a WiFi connection.
