The Last Bee On Earth is Mike Bee, the prolific guitarist late of Manchester’s best band, Purple Heart Parade. Before that he was in The Phoenix Experiment and before that, The 66. His ongoing solo project is tucked away on soundcloud, one day it will be fully released into the wild. Until then colourhorizon is here to tell you of a treasure…
The Last Bee On Earth proves to be a summation of a man seeking the Earth bound deities behind our once green world. A man exposing the fat-cats at work in our corrupted Eden. The Last Bee On Earth is a dangerous part of the ecosystem, a melancholy symbol of what we had and what are losing. Mike’s music spins on his themes and concerns.
At the heart the project is a simple foray into classic singer-songwriting that takes us through psych, blues and electro.
‘Mossed In Space’ chimes languid and locks into a liquid groove, a shamans appetite-whetter.
‘World On Fire’ is solid gold, an arena sized construction of piano and strings. Richard Ashcroft refined.
‘The Gates Of Heaven’ is the keystone, a slow and seductive lament in which Mike spins between defiance and dejected. Aching blues licks dance over tortured drums. Punching the chorus harder every time, he delivers the emotional heart of The Last Bee’s final flight.
‘The Mechanisation Of Gaia’ twists with slo-mo electro under a fractured riff. A distorted dance. Trippy protest music.
‘White Widow Blues’ is a twanging dirge, Grinderman on the back porch, soul digging.
‘The Concept Of Alan Watts’… is best just to tune in and ruminate.
Finally we have The Last Bee’s remix of Ghostpoet’s ‘Meltdown’. Hot and torchy, ready to party while the world disintegrates.
Another name to add to the region’s roll call of singer-songwriters, I for one can’t wait for when The Last Bee On Earth will get a proper release…
colourhorizon 