“The Bird and the Bee is an indie/pop/alternative musical duo from Los Angeles, consisting of musicians Greg Kurstin ("bee") and Inara George ("bird"). Kurstin, a producer and keyboardist who has worked with Lily Allen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Kylie Minogue and Red Hot Chili Peppers, is also a member of the band Geggy Tah. Inara George and Kurstin met while the two were working on her debut album and they decided to collaborate on a jazz-influenced electro pop project. Their debut EP, Again and Again and Again and Again, was released on October 2006 and their debut album was released on January 23, 2007 on Blue Note Records.” - Wikipedia 2009
Let me clear the floor about Wikipedia because I know what some of you academics are thinking. Research has actually substantiated that Wikipedia has shown less errors than Britannica. I think for the case of a general bio outline of who this band is, we are safe.
In a world that has a market flooded with horrible cds how do artists stand out? Having a Blue Note deal definitely doesn’t hurt for the Bird And The Bee. Most artists will throw around certain harmonic jazz progressions that have been around for over half a century to label a pop song as fresh or jazzy. I am not one that falls for this kind of gimmick, until now with this band.
Off the bat you can hear the influence of a jazz musician who studied at New School and has played with many jazz greats but yet still has his other foot in the waters of Los Angeles performing with just as equal greats in the Pop Scene. This record starts with M7 chords moving in wide intervals...is how a New School/Berklee graduate would say after hearing the opening track “Again and Again”. No, this song is the shit. Inara Georges’ voice sounds like an angel from heaven. When television shows like Grey’s Anatomy have used their music, it gives me hope for the future.
Unfortunately, “Again and Again” has to come to an end and the rest of the album is waiting. “Birds and the Bees” follows the opening track...it’s all good. The 3rd track “F-cking Boyfriend” is fun. The lyrics are funny yet casually poignant. The synth sounds and the rest of the production of the song continues to be incredible. With 70’s retro sounding songs like “I’m a Broken Heart” hit the soft spot in my broken heart that I have for artists like Burt Bacharach. “La La La” could have easily been heard on any Beck record. “My Fair Lady” takes me into the circus world with it’s subtle bossa undertones and its harpsichord ostinatos.
We have 4 songs left on the record and it is starting to sound like it. “I Hate Camera” is great. But thats all can really say. The songs are getting less catchy but it still hold that high quality of music we opened up with. “Because” is definitely the low point of the record. I’m now counting down until the record is done. Hey, we all need filler tracks for our records and “Because“ was just that. It took me few listens to really appreciate “Preparedness”. It is actually one of the better songs due to its simplicity. I’m always fascinated by the last track on records because I know most artists make big decisions about their “bang” and what note they want to leave the listener with. The Bird and the Bee took the thoughtful route as opposed to the testosterone driven hard hitting route. It’s basically a song that you’d find on a Bjork record. But it has their own Bird and the Bee spin on it. Bottom line, it’s cool. 
More than the high level of musicianship and great song writing that this debut cd carries, the production is amazing. Production is one element that jazz musicians always shy away from due their ignorance. The cd is kept under an hour, which I have always been a big fan of. While Blue Note has a reputation on having a roster of amazing artists with a handful of super average players, The Bird and the Bee lets me know that their A&R department still has some artistic integrity to sign a real musical endeavor that will leave a print on the Jazz and Pop scene for years to come. If you want a simple cd that has catchy pop melodies for your listener who has good ears, this is THE cd. If you want a cd that will take you to Nirvana or the next plane of existence, I’d recommend something else.
If I have to use the cheesy star rating that we connect with so well, I give it 4.87 out of 5 Stars.
A little preview of "Again and Again"
