Bee Eigen – Sanguine
Nevada City-based singer/songwriter Bee Eigen is fresh off the release of her latest EP, Sanguine. A short-and-sweet four-song offering, Eigen specializes in heartfelt, bare-bones compositions that are lyrically driven. These songs are stuffed with clever verbiage that conjures razor-sharp imagery, leaving you feeling breathless and dewy-eyed. There’s no disguising anything here and that approach feels intentional – these songs are stripped-down to mostly acoustic guitar and Eigen’s winsome vocal character. With such a personal-sounding release, it’s best to hear a bit from the artist themselves – here’s an aside from Bee about where the inspiration from Sanguine came from:
“The bliss of nothing. Uncertain footing and mourning old identities. The disgusting need for external validation. Life and all of its bittersweet qualities. These are some of the themes explored in my debut EP, Sanguine. Written over a span of 3+ years, these songs explore the ways in which my identity has changed, including my leap into motherhood and my struggles with mental health. It’s the soundtrack to my woes and pleasures, floating along to the simple and sometimes haunting melodies created by my voice and guitar.”
The EP kicks off with “Incredible Nothing” and immediately introduces Eigen’s trademark sound – you’ll hear lots of gently-strummed guitar (with a thumb, not a guitar pick, inspiring that extra warm tone), sometimes multiple guitars, with hints of bass, subtle shakers, and, of course, Eigen’s warm and inviting vocals. Songs like these are hard to elaborate upon fully because there are no frills to zero-in on… Sure, there’s the gentle chime of a keyboard at the 2:20 mark or the haunting background vocals that layer into the song perfectly, but Eigen’s narrative is always at the forefront. There’s lots to pick through, but her wordplay is so captivating, it begs for repeat listens. Here’s a brief passage that caught my ear while I listened:
“Where the men climbing down with their handlebar ‘stache
Burn it off with a candle and dripping hot wax
And the kids splash around in the creek with their dogs
And they crisp up their shoulders in summertime sun”
You’ll hear these same hallmarks throughout the rest of the EP too. The more minor-chord driven “Cake” starts off with a thoughtful monologue about a bruised and moldy peach before elaborating on a pair of hands sticky with cake. Her powerful storytelling is then cut starkly by a single, repeated word, “validation,” in a not-so-subtle yearning from Eigen. The menacing, and descending chord progression found on “Aquarium Blue” picks up where “Cake” left off, sounding vulnerable and even lightly self-deprecating, while calling it like she sees it all the same:
“Watch her through the looking glass
What a tiny life she has
Call me alien, call me devil
Just call me
Just call me something new”
The EP concludes with “Bugs at McNear,” and while it doesn’t necessarily read as happy, it feels like an apt closer for this lovely collection of songs. Jazzy 7th chords pull at your ear while Eigen coos lyrics about how “life’s still worth living to [her].” Speaking of coos, if you listen closely, you can hear the voice of a baby peeking through. It’s (to my current knowledge) a cute little Easter egg from Eigen’s little one that warmed my blackened heart – we’re pretty sure it will warm yours too.
Sanguine is out now – you can find it via Soundcloud (below), or your favorite streaming service. Here are the Apple Music and Spotify links for your convenience.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna