Sea of Bees

Bee Eee Pee (EP)

Bee Eee Pee is the breathtaking debut EP from Sea of Bees, the indie-pop project of Sacramento singer-songwriter Julie Baenziger. Released in 2009, this 17-minute collection serves as a stunning introduction to an artist whose raw talent requires no studio gloss to shine. The opener, "Skinnybone," sets the tone with an echoey acoustic guitar and Baenziger's haunting, ethereal voice. This unvarnished sincerity continues on "The Woods," highlighting her sweet, unaffected melodies. She also embraces experimentation; the bizarre but brilliant "Willis" shifts from unsettling mumbles to a lively, handclap-driven rhythm masking an underlying lyrical grimness. Shorter tracks like "Lightfriend" and "Blind" cement the EP's mesmeric atmosphere. Together, the songs make for an innocent, vulnerable first chapter that invites listeners directly into Baenziger's orbit, paving the way for their acclaimed full-length debut, Songs for the Ravens.