Sea of Bees, a musical project by singer Julie Ann Baenziger, released her new album “ Build a Boat to the Sun” June 30. This is one of the most inspiring albums I have heard this summer, one of the most deep and emotional tunes that have come out in a while. The songs “Test Yourself”, “ Karma Kard”, “Old Bridge” and “Ease” all are titles that mark a turning point in Julie’s life, a much happier transition from her last album that is dedicated to her ex-girlfriend Orange Farben. Her music is usually characterized as indie folk music but sometimes includes guitar riffs that contain a rock vibe.
Julie’s growth is easily detected in these songs, as the lyrics are a sort of self-discovery. Julie exposes herself to the world: “Share your mind share your scars to a world”, which is relatable to everyone, as everyone has a lot on their minds and their own kind of scars, whether is be psychical or mental.
All her songs contain a beautiful, intense, and nostalgic tone to all of them with heartfelt lyrics. Julie successfully writes about love without it being too cliché. The words to the song coupled with the sound creates an emotional journey for the audience to move through with her: “We used to open our doors with our hearts with ease/and soon you will be found on the grass with stains/ and watch the sun shine for you.”
Her feeling of isolation and loss is also captured through her songs: “Don’t follow me/ I am lost trying to find my way home/ like everyone else.” This refers to her metaphorical cycling through life: “All through life we wrestle the sea/ it’s all in the dark/ there’s a heart that’s full/ looking for you so pull through.” We see her constantly struggle through the wrestle of the “sea”, most likely referring to the sea of voices and noises that try to pull her down, but is something that is necessary for her to move on and fight against in order to become a stronger person.
“I never thought I grow so old/ so strong.” She finally realizes this towards the end of her album. She finds herself through her dreams as some kind of new person: “Hello/ I met you once/ before in a dream/ you were young/you were a distant kind of man.” She feels herself lost in a void of darkness before she finally finds herself.