Beezewax
When You Stood Up
If you were to attempt to compile a list of bands from Norway, you’d probably have A-Ha on it. In fact, on average, they would be at the top of the list. Maybe even the only band on the list. Dig deeper and you’ll find the likes of Royksopp and Dimmu Borgir.
What I’m saying is, there isn’t anything in the realms of autumnal indie on the go. Beezewax, however, are minding their own style of hazy summer-ends feel-good guitar music that is entirely British in flavour.
It’s Gene mixed with The Feeling for the swaying title track, with Housemartins style vocals. Things bounce along with fuzzy guitars and big piano, the chorus supplying the appropriate tingly feeling despite not being entirely different to the verse.
The intro to ‘Take Any Life’ is a tinny bit of Bowie style guitar with a T-Rex vocal. It gets warmer as the song ambles into life with ‘Junior High’ melted piano and a cascade of keyboards. The vocals add layer upon layer of the ‘Take Any Life’ line before it disperses into distant piano for the ending.
It’s quite a safe record, in terms of pleasing a wide audience and offending a very small one, but it shouldn’t be branded lacklustre or boring, as there are a few items that elevate it above the washed-out sounds of your typical indie wannabees – namely the piano style and the drums in the chorus of ‘When You Stood Up’.
Two great songs with their own identity, each capturing a similar mood.
Written by Fenton on
