Monday 10 October 2022

Who Cares What The Question Is When All Your Love Is In Messages?


Hailing from the Isle Of Wight, The Bees released four albums between 2001 and 2010. I didn't really know about them until 2016 when a re-edit of Mojo Filter's 2011 remix of their song Silver Line appeared on the Modern Re-Loves Volume 1 compilation (still available as a name your price download on Bandcamp).

Suitably enthused, I tracked down The Bees' albums - Sunshine Hit Me (2001), Free The Bees (2004), Octopus (2007) and Every Step's A Yes (2010) and subsequently fell for their charms.
 
Who Cares What The Question Is? was the first single and opening song from third album Octopus and like most of their singles, didn't trouble the UK charts, although follow up Listening Man did make it to #91. The album fared better, reaching #26 matching the peak of their previous album Free The Bees.

I've not seen the video for Who Cares What The Question Is? before and it's delightfully animated romp, the band squashed into a camper van that takes a frequently surreal journey across land and sea, fading to a giant question mark, its final destination unknown.

Following their fourth album, The Bees toured with Fleet Foxes in 2011 and then...no more. They don't appear to have officially split but various band members have gone on to do their own thing. Aaron Fletcher and Tim Parkin formed 77:78 released the psychedelic pop album Jellies in 2018. Warren Hampshire has released five albums with jazz pianist Greg Foat and his first solo album, Language Of The Birds, in 2021.

Who Cares What The Question Is? seems like an apposite choice for a Monday morning. Well, this Monday morning at least...

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