Isle of Wight natives The Bees ought to have a naturally sunny disposition; not only is their home county a perennial UK holiday hotspot, but their very name demands sentiments of summer and sun. Just as well that the sextet's debut album was entitled Sunshine Hit Me, then - and, following its successful, non-metrological or maritime-related follow-up Free the Bees, they've revisited the elemental theme with their third outing, Octopus. It's a clever title in more than one way, however; just as the slimy sea creatures are known for their ability to multi-task, The Bees' penchant for creating genre-hopping tunes defines them in the same way as a multitude of extra limbs would. In this age of studio technology, bands who create music that flits between styles is becoming increasingly predictable and underwhelming, but it's The Bees' sheer temerity that sets them apart from their contemporaries. For one, Octopus is a superbly-paced album; perhaps the most structured of their work thus far, it incorporates the most unlikely of musical alloys without the excessive wackiness that imbued their previous outings. Single Who Knows What the Question Is? opens proceedings, plodding happily through a slide guitar/'60s pop composite before launching headlong into Love In the Harbour, a warm, harmonica-stuffed country-pop ditty that would have made the Flying Burrito Brothers green with envy. Left Foot Stepdown's and Stand's funky ska both sound like collaborations between The Specials and Buena Vista Social Club; Listening Man's laid-back reggae lilt could be an old Bob Marley out-take, and Better Days' sweet soul/funk groove is just plain gorgeous. It's an aptly-titled, and aptly-crafted track that brings matters to a close: End of the Street bubbles and squeaks along a rockabilly-meets-samba soundtrack, a sound that's typical of Octopus's heart. The constant spot-on vocal harmonies throughout the album are a mere bonus to an amazingly eclectic canon. Not only is Octopus the best collection of songs The Bees have recorded to date, it's the perfect soundtrack to the summer of 2007.