Jess Larrabee, the female half of She Keeps Bees, is a fighter. She's bare-knuckled — nicked and scraped and scarred, and all the wiser for it. But wisdom has not calmed her, has not quelled the explosive energy that makes her lash out before she remembers to pull back, play it safe, keep it close, not make any sudden movements. She is more aware of her faults than we could ever be. You can never hurt her more than she can hurt herself. Sticks and stones might break my bones but my words will always hurt me.

That's the sorrow, the pregnant potential for emotional violence, that dots Nests, an absolutely astonishing album from Larrabee and drummer Andy LaPlante. Even the band name — a seemingly senseless, "well, it sounds nice" kinda name — speaks to this weird dynamic: whenever I read the name I picture an old, half-crazed Southern woman storing a beehive in an old hat box, her left hand calmly battling the vibrating lid to keep it closed, her right laconically dragging on a cigarette.

All of this sounds silly and a bit overwrought, but if you spend any amount of time with Nests, I have to think you'll… read more »