aaamusic | On 06, Feb 2011

Songs for the Ravens is the charming debut release from Californian singer and multi-instrumentalist Julie Ann Baenziger, a.k.a. Sea of Bees. The record provides listeners with an enchanting brand of atmospheric indie-folk that forms a clean and polished sound, whilst Baenziger sets herself apart from her peers by the subtle quirk to her arrangements.

Baenziger’s captivating voice pulls you into a landscape of withdrawn emotion as her luscious vocals undulate over the rolling instrumentals, there is a sense throughout that Baenziger is withholding the full range of her voice, allowing for an understated beauty to be achieved which is at times to the record’s detriment. After listening to the record for a third or fourth time you get pulled into a sort of woozy daydream where the music begins to lose meaning and lack presence. It flows over you like a tranquil river, leaving you grounded and unaffected like a rock in its bed.

There are, however, tangible hints of brilliance that can be identified at various points in the record. The opening track Gnomes is an impressive composition as it succeeds in blending Baenziger’s sweet, childlike voice above the rolling baseline, splashing symbols and general haze of controlled instrumentation. However, such moments can seem like an anomaly amongst the dreary, unoriginal balladry of songs like The Gold.

This is a record that becomes prosaic after the first listen and lacks the originality and charisma needed to sustain its charm. However, I am left without any doubt that, with greater vision, this artist has the ability to produce something truly stunning and substantial in the future.

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Author: Alice Cuddy

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A wonderful blend of dreamy pop, country and folk, Song For The Ravens is truly a lovely album. The often simplistic, almost childish track titles (Gnomes, Marmalade) disguise the depth that lies beneath – seemingly innocent pop tunes blend with dark and somewhat psychedelic undercurrents. Throughout all this Julie Ann Baezinger’s  voice remains as an ethereal, contemplative constant, lending the record an often otherworldly, detached feel. This may only be Baezinger’s debut, but not for one moment does it feel at all amateur; on the contrary, this is an excellent first, and one she should be proud of.

Author: Katharine Sparks