This Is the Revolution

iTunes Review

Best known as a Christian music producer, Brandon Bee steps out as a singer/songwriter on 2009’s thoroughly likeable This Is the Revolution. The Tacoma-based Bee displays a distinct case of Anglophilia in these tracks — you can hear traces of Beatles-like whimsy and contemporary Britpop atmospherics in his sound. Besides a fondness for layered guitar textures and beefy choruses, he also proves himself a subtle, poetically inclined lyricist here. Whether he’s dealing with spiritual matters in terms of warfare (the title tune), inner exploration (“The Quest for Riches”), or a struggle with the elements (“The Castaway”), Bee is vivid and convincing. His praise songs — especially “I Do Not Deserve” and “Your Holiness” — enhance their devotional messages with elegant strings and electronica washes. Tracks like “Holy Fire” and “The Empty of the Emptiness” crackle with melodic pop drive. Bee veers into esoteric folk-pop territory with the quirky “Even the Enemy Believes,” then ends on a high, sweet note with “Fly Like a Bird.”