Bee Caves’ Ep is a Fascinating, Captivating Listen [stream]

Bee Caves – Running Home to You SoundCloud

These days, it’s exceedingly rare to find an EP that shows a depth of range as impressive and diverse as Bee Caves’ debut, Animals With Religion. With the scant six tracks, Bee Caves goes from almost psychedelic onslaughts of noise to Calexico-esque, southwestern style Americana to something almost electro. The truly remarkable thing, though, is their uncanny ability to sound comfortable and in their element while trying all these disparate genres and influences. If it’s uncommon to have an EP show off so many styles, it’s almost a miracle to hear one as self-assured and experimental as Bee Caves’ debut effort.

Starting off with the deeply layered and wonderfully loud, “Running Home to You”, the post-rock and psychedelic influences of the band are flawlessly conveyed, but it’s the comparatively muted “Black Mason Hills” that truly soars. Fully embracing the aesthetic of their Austin home, “Black Mason Hills” ambles along, drawing you into it’s dark, Americana mood. With the sudden arrival of dissonance halfway through, the track shifts to something more wild and fascinating all together. It’s a song that is the perfect summary of the EP as a whole — expansive yet still grounded. Animals With Religion is not just a fantastic effort, it’s also a captivating listen.