Mahogany Bees

Mahogany Bees is a new project from Brunswick musician Nick Springer. The songs are laid back indie with a tinge of funk/R&B and have ambient vibes. I reviewed the three tracks found on the project’s soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/mahoganybees).

“Shadows” – Starting with record static, a funky bassline and spacious synths – the vocals kick in with a semi auto-tune/vocoder effect and a light voice with great pitch that makes for super cool harmonies. Lyrics like “I still see the shadows, I still see the things I did last night” make for a distant vibe with maybe a tinge of regret and trying to change old ways – “I can’t escape my demons”

“Cave Dive” – An exuberant drum machine track leads into a guitar riff that bounces. Lo-fi electronic noises chime in to make the verses pop as emotional singing “I’m already dead and buried.” At the 1:33 mark you find some deep low pitch voice effects that seemingly make the song/sound of Mahogany Bees fascinatingly unique.

“Afraid To Sleep Tonight” – The most traditional rocking of the bunch. The straightforward instrumental charges on with a steady pulse that consistently rides waves. Each of the three songs clock in around two minutes and thirty seconds and deliver quite an impact within that time. “Afraid To Sleep Tonight” differs the most within a solo section that kicks in around 1:40 and then builds the song’s atmosphere until the end fades out quicker than expected. - What is Frederick?