The Bumble Bees - "Maybe Someday" + 2 7"

The Bumble Bees – “Maybe Someday” + 2 7”
Op Art, 1999
Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2007
Price: $1

Nuggets-y pop from the Netherlands circa…1966? The label reads “Op Art Sound ’66 Serie” which I GUESS means it’s from 1966. It certainly SOUNDS like it’s from 1966. Upon further inspection (read: I quickly looked on the internet so as to not interrupt my fantasy football mock draft) this combines two separate 45s from 1966 and 1967 and is really awesome in that way that those psych-tinged pop bands from that era are all awesome in a ubiquitous sort of way. More like a standard of quality. The tender ballad-esque “Day by Day” is the real knock-out here. Just pure fucking loveliness all around with these harmonies that just kill. It’s like a great Tobin Sprout song buried in the middle of one of GBV’s more classic albums (editor’s note: I really need to figure out how many times I reference Guided by Voices in posts NOT even remotely about Guided by Voices, like this post…and the last post). The melody is subtle, the kind that creeps up on you (but not in a creepy way). The A-Side is pretty good, notably “Maybe Someday” which is mostly good because it’s kind of weird. It has a creepy horn in it that reminds me of the soundtrack from The Wicker Man. Pagan Ritual Horn? Is that a thing? I don’t know, it creeps me, but I enjoy being creeped by it. Also Creepy: There’s a dude in this band that looks exactly like me. Take a look for yourself. AM I A TIME TRAVELLING GHOST!?! I never knew!