Go Tell The Bees – a four-track EP by 3 Daft Monkeys.

The advance publicity for this says that "Celtic, Balkan, Gypsy, Latino, Cornish. All these influences and more are in evidence within 3 Daft Monkeys' music." It also says that the music is "too diverse to be pigeonholed into one genre" and that the band "traverse Dance, Dub, Punk, Reggae and Traditional Folk with ease"

I can only think that these comments are based on previous releases which I haven't heard, because to my ears this *can* be pigeonholed into one genre – folk, which covers a lot these days. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is not exactly what I was expecting. I thought I detected a few gypsy, latin, and balkan touches, but not more than many other folk/roots acts.

The EP starts very promisingly with the beginning of track one, Go Tell The Bees, being very reminiscent of Rodrigo y Gabriela but after not much more than 10 seconds it suddenly bursts into a Levellers-type sound with some hints of balkan/gypsy flavours.

Track two, Paranoid Big Brother is also like a mixture of the Levellers and New Model Army but with a subtle dance beat under it which becomes more noticeable on repeat hearings.

Track three, Social Vertigo, starts as a slow waltz, moves into celtic reel territory and then settles into a Levellers-like song (A pattern is emerging – a good job I like the Levellers!). This song has really grown on me with each hearing and I reckon this would get crowds moving at a live show.

Track four is a remix of an old song, Astral Eyes. I don't know what the original was like but this has the feel of Afro-Celt Sound System or Davy Spillane.

Regardless of what the publicity says, I couldn't hear any trance, dub, punk or reggae at all, but this is after all only a 4-track EP. What I did hear was a set of catchy tunes, which become catchier the second time around. It is not what I would describe as a mixture or fusion of roots styles though, more like English and Celtic folk with some nods towards other styles.

I think it would be very hard for anyone who likes predominantly acoustic roots music to dislike this and its certainly good enough to tempt me into looking out for the album when it comes out. I do get the feeling that this lot really come into their own on a stage though.

Full disclosure: I didn't pay for this but received a free copy for review, and I chose to receive this particular CD.