Album Review: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All

Originally published April 23, 2008 in The Orion

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
We Brave Be Stings and All
Kill Rock Stars, 2008
4/5 stars

"We Brave Bee Stings and All" is a bundle of energy that provokes listeners to sing at the top of their lungs and raise their hands in the air.

Singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen and her band, The Get Down Stay Down, perform each song on the indie-pop album with a great amount of contagious excitement. Unlike some singers who try too hard to be charming, the sweetness in Nguyen's voice is not forced.

Lively instrumentation sparkles throughout the album with chiming guitars, glorious horns and a delicate piano. A few songs take on a folk twang with fast banjo melodies.

The awe-inspiring sounds of Thao with The Get Down Stay Down are best described by the lyrics of "Swimming Pools." Nguyen sings, "We don't dive, we cannon ball."

"We Brave Bee Stings and All" is not an album that will fly under the radar - it makes a splash.