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Nov 17, 2020 Web Exclusive By Caleb Campbell

Italian garage punks Bee Bee Sea are very much a band’s band. The members all grew up in the small northern Italian town of Castel Goffredon and live by a simple mantra—“When there’s no good shit around you better form a band.” For Bee Bee Sea that initially meant playing classic rock covers, but as the band members got into punk and grew a live cult following, their music only grew more frenetic. With the band’s third album, Day Ripper, their exploration of listless small-town ennui takes on an even more frenzied form, as the band revels in the musical chaos they construct.

Although Bee Bee Sea has built a stellar live reputation opening for international acts such as Oh Sees, IDLES, and Black Lips, the group remains the perennial underdogs. Several songs on the album vent the band member’s frustration at the idea of working suffocating small town jobs for the rest of their lives. The fear comes from very real experiences, as the band works in a local factory by day and plays shows by night. The opener, “Daily Jobs,” dives right into this theme with lead singer Wilson Wilson singing “I’m feeling like the only thing/I’ve ever done is/Living in a factory.” The track tears through at breakneck speed for the verses before slowing down for a singalong chorus, keeping the whole affair feeling brisk and vital. 

From there on the band rarely lets up on the intensity, keeping the album moving with a breezy character. “Gonna Get Me” and “Drags Me Down” recall the ripping uptempo garage rock of Jay Reatard, but with a distinctly pop ear for melody beneath the scummy punk vocal. Beyond the bluster, the band shows off some stellar earworm melodies. On “Be Bop Palooza,” the bouncing buoyant chorus vocal fits well with the motorik drum rhythm, while later “Mheer Sag” feels like a garage rock update on a 1960s pop classic, complete with rolicking drums and handclaps. Even the closing track “Day Ripper” has hints of pop with the chorus, marrying Beatlesesque melodies with the psych-garage stomp of Oh Sees.

The loose feel and pure adrenaline fueled fun of Bee Bee Sea is what sets the band apart from its contemporaries. The band isn’t quite as out there as other bands in the garage rock revival lane such as Oh Sees or Black Lips, sticking to a time-tested formula that has worked for hundreds of bands before them. However, there is a simple sense of effervescent, raucous energy running through the album. It’s clear that this is an underdog rock and roll band in the classic sense of the term—fans of old school rock that started jamming together in their small town. Despite the band’s frustrations with the repetitive cycle of the day job, the album never seems dour or even downcast, always hitting on a simple and visceral joy. For fans looking to rekindle their love of vintage fun and hook-filled garage rock, Day Ripper is sure to satisfy. (www.beebeesea.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7/10