Bee Bee Sea have never been short on hooks, attitude, or ideas, but Stanzini Can Be Allright might be their most ambitious move yet — a scrappy, heartfelt garage-rock love letter to the place that shaped them. If their recent “punk opera” 7″ hinted at a band stretching their formula, the full-length confirms it: Bee Bee Sea are further widening their playground without losing a shred of their unruly charm. The three It’s All About the Music cuts from the 7″ land here as well, but they’re now surrounded by songs that flesh out the band’s world with more swagger, more swing, and more stories.

Inspired in spirit by the Gizmos’ Midwest Can Be Alright, the trio channel their own version of small-town mythology. Musically, this is still Bee Bee Sea — buzzing riffs, caffeinated rhythms, and a melodic instinct most bands would kill for — but the edges have expanded. There’s egg-punk twitch, GBV-style scrappiness, post punk urgency, and plenty of wiry, jangly sparkle.

Twelve tracks and a whole lot of personality. Stanzini Can Be Allright is Bee Bee Sea proving once again that great garage rock can come from anywhere, and that the middle of nowhere “can be allright” when you’re loud enough to shake it awake. LP/CD/TAPE out now on Wild Honey Records.

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