Persephone’s Bees – Notes From The Underworld / 2006 Columbia / 11 Tracks / http://www.persephonesbees.com / http://www.columbiarecords.com / Reviewed 08 June 2006

Persephone’s Bees are from San Francisco, a city that has a storied musical history. On their “Notes From The Underworld”, Persephone’s Bees try to coalesce all the styles that have been present in San Francisco’s musical history. This means that a very psychedelic sound can mix with disco and nineties music in tracks like “City of Love”. The tracks on this album are all done with a greater fame in mind, but Persephone’s Bees do not seem to come up with a way to connect to their audience.

On the disc, the band seems to operate behind a clear glass partition; enjoyable but individuals feel removed from the act. The band tries to operate on the same level of acts like The Dresden Dolls, but this removed sound hinders the band from birthing a “Coin-Operated Boy”. The production is good besides this artificial block; perhaps if Persephone’s Bees would be able to get a different producer for the next album or put out an album of live material, the band could shine in a way that I feel they can. The band jumps into a faux-French, almost Jpop sound for a number of tracks on this album. When the band cuts their “Muzika Diya Fil’ma”, the connection to foreign styles is made more clear. The infusion of this French/Japanese style with a neo-country type of guitar work shows the band’s desire for fusion. The blend is not too stilted, and the band makes these styles work well on the track.

Changing up styles and trying to experiment and find something new and exciting is a goal that all bands should strive for, but there is little that is purely Persephone’s Bees on this album. Perhaps if the band would include a germ of what they represent, something that could present itself throughout the disc, “Notes From The Underworld” would seem much more coherent. “Even Though I’m Fooling Around” is the pinnacle of this album; the fact that the track resides so much in the sixties of the Beatles allows the band to connect to a wide segment of society. The band is talented, don’t get me wrong, but there are a few things that need to be fixed on this album before the band can qualify their efforts as a success. Here’s to hoping that they can search these problems out and fix them before they release another album.

Top Tracks: Muzika Diya Fil’ma, Even Though I’m Fooling Around

Rating: 5.0/10

[JMcQ]