THE BEES Vinyl & CDs

Review: Second time around for the Bees' terrific debut album, Sunshine Hit Me, which wowed critics and buyers alike on its initial release way back in 2001. The epitome of a surprise hit with admirably DIY roots - the duo behind it, Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, famously recorded it in a limited home studio built in the back garden of a residential house on the Isle of Wight - the album has lost none of its allure all these years on. Woozy, summery and lo-fi, with hazy horns and glassy-eyed vocals rising above backing tracks that variously doff a cap to soul, rocksteady, ska, 1960s dream pop, psychedelia and a wealth of subtle global musical influences, Sunshine Hit Me is a warming, smile-inducing treat. This edition also boasts a sextet of bonus cuts, which seem to be a mixture of B-sides and tracks plucked from the pair's archives.

Review: Founding Bees members Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher recorded the original Sunshine Hit Me on the Isle of Wight in their own home garden studio which they called The Shed. A year after release in 2003 it got recognised with a Mercury Music Prize nomination and spawned some big singles. Now, 20 years on, it arrives once more but in an all-new and dubbed-out fashion. The six cuts include three which have never previously been released in any physical format and bring a fresh dimension to the originals.

Review: Sunshine Hit Me is the debut album from the British band The Bees. A testament to summery jovialty and DIY ingenuity, the album is as raw and earthen as it is soulful, with the band at the time only made up of founding members Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, who wrote, performed and recorded the album alone using a home studio in Butler's parents' garden on the Isle Of Wight. Don't be confused by the LP's normative categorisation as "indie rock"; deft listeners can hear everything from reggae to neo-soul in this one, flaunting the pair's impressive musical education going into its making.

Review: The Bees were a product of the late 80s South African music scene. They were an unknown band even in their homeland but its hard to see why given their happy kwaito sound. Now, 30 years later, international diggers are bringing the outfit the acclaim they deserve after the band was rather forgotten because they never had a big crossover hit in their early years. Here two of their best tracks are served up by Dutch label La Casa Tropical. They're lit up with pixelated synths and retro-future vibes that European party people love to get down to. "Mamezala" is the more considered of the two, while "Never Give Up" is a strident and rousing proto-house anthem with plenty of boogie in the bass.