LA’s The Bird and The Bee aesthetically fulfil all the typical criteria that boy/girl duos adhere to. Producer and multi instrumentalist, Greg Kurstin, and singer Inara George are impeccably well dressed and ooze sex appeal, fuelling the speculative ‘are they/aren’t they’ questions. Yet they also have a detached, insular air about themselves.

Musically, they have created an album of quirky pop songs with minimal instruments, detailing laments of love, sex and heartbreak; common points of interest in the duo world also. If you can stomach formula and don’t mind some cutie pie pop then the The Bird and The Bee should serve as a refreshing listen; its deliciously kitsch ambiance is both interesting and engaging.

The album isn’t all copycatting and imitation though, The Bird and The Bee differ to other boy/girl duos in their ability to blend different genres and influences. Kurstin’s masterful work as both producer and musician allows genre jumping, as the band serenely blend ‘60’s Parisian pop with a dash of grime, vocal house, jazz, hip hop. All of this is feed through an electronic grinder of lounge keyboards, sonic synths, and backed with splashes of acoustic guitar, looped drum machines and tambourines.

Keeping this veritable smorgasbord of electronica at a dreamy and unobtrusive state are George’s beautifully detached vocals and her confident exploration of her impressive range. Her voice is layered throughout the album and this self harmonising gives body and depth to the tracks; delicately built and delivered with a near whisper volume. Such vocal layering allows the duo to experiment with their structures, as songs often have moments of one simple note or loop being played during verses; the vocals fleshing it out stopping the tracks from veering into nothingness. Coupling this with a distinct sense of humour in her lyrical content that flitters between self deprecation and playful teasing, its evident The Bird and The Bee don’t take themselves too seriously.

An example of this is on the opener ‘Again and Again’ where George sings of finding yourself winding up in bed with that person you know you shouldn’t very well be in bed with, but can’t seem to help yourself. As she sings: “You’re so stupid and perfect and stupid and perfect/I hate you, I want you,” acoustic guitar and hand claps blend into a dance tempo that makes way for a dreamy middle section; filled out be George’s ‘la’s’ and a haunting keyboard.
During ‘Fucking Boyfriend’ she has a playful stab at the complexities of male commitment and their apparent lack there of. Brooding and atmospheric synths open the track which rings of American vocal house’s staggered rhythms. Pumping bass and blips fill in quiet time of the verses successfully, as a bossa nova beat is joined by an infectious piano chord progression that could fill dance floors with happy grins, and grinding jaws. It’s certainly ripe for a remix or two.

The Bird and The Bee delve deeper into their influences and multitude of styles as the album progresses; each track revealing different textures and structures all connected via their minimal instrumentation. It shows just how talented Kurstin is behind the controls; his confidence carrying the light on arrangements.

‘I’m A Broken Heart’ is a Brian Wilson mini epic complete with tambourine, bell rings and a horn section, as George reveals her most detached delivery. Similarly ‘La La La’ is Parisian pop at its most dreamy and carefree; warm acoustic guitars and keyboards echo through the verses and George bursts through during the chorus, reverb coated and angelic. With its grime-stained rhythm and bass that sounds like it is escaping through the vibrating car windows of a burnout gladiator, ‘Because’ again demonstrates the album’s mutation of genres.

The Bird and The Bee never waver or falters with their experimentation. It is a confident debut album that shows a passion and understanding of a variety of musical styles, recreating genres with added flair and intelligence. The band seems to have masterfully circumvented the clichés duo’s often fill their work with, by being rather smart and grown up with their approach; never become too cute or repetitious – a trait that too often weakens the sounds of both duos and sparse sounding groups.

The Bird And the Bee may be sugary sounding, but they have avoided becoming the leading cause of diabetes (the worst you’ll get is a slight toothache), with a heady mix of styles that are sure to please even the most cynical listener.