Album Review: Drawn From Bees - The May King And His Paper Crown

Judging from their earlier work, it's fair to say that the art-rockers from Brisbane are completely at ease with making music which is expressive, multi-layered and emotive. While it may seem tough to encapsulate these fickle human sentiments in an effective and palpable way, it is precisely what they have achieved yet again.

Perhaps it is the power of introspection which lends this album its depth and scope as the band tap into the realm of love, loss, and betrayal. Exemplary examples of this are discernable in the tracks Whistling Bone and The Ballad Of Running Bear, which are still catchy thanks to their precise percussion, while their self-awareness is made manifest in their lyrics and vocals. The album also touches upon distinct throw-backs to the retrospect with the tracks Of Walls & Teeth and The Well Draws No Water echoing '70s rock and balladry, demonstrating that their experimentation with sound and aesthetic is equally important to the band.

This LP suggests that the band are confident in their style and it shows. The album is certainly brave in terms of soundscapes and aesthetic but overall the album is still cohesive and pleasurable to listen to. A rather clever aspect of this album is that the lyrics are so tentatively put, but their underlying meaning is wrought with emotion. Further still, it is not until you have finished listening to the album that the lyrics start to haunt you; leaving you feeling compelled to listen to it all over again.