Beezewax - Who to Salute

Do we really need another twee Scandinavian band? And how do they all persist in sounding so dull? These are the first two questions that present themselves when listening to Beezewax's debut LP 'Who to Salute'. Whatever the reasons, the lands across the North Sea seem, with the odd notable exception, to excel in cheesy, derivative, weak-assed indie-pop, and the Norwegian Beezewax are no notable exception. It's difficult to really rip into such inoffensive, lightweight fare, such is the feeling of utter apathy their music engenders, but here goes. The anonymous songs (don't expect me to remember titles) drift by in a haze of dreadful lyrics and forgettable melodies, as if Beezewax had been given a manual on pop song-smithery for their Christmas – from the bargain bins of the Norwegian equivalent of Poundstretchers. By the end, you're left feeling cheated, bemused and strangely empty. Their chilling ennui is evidently contagious. [Nick Mitchell]