"Finding out the truth about you was finding the moon is made of dust/ The stars are just confetti, and heroes always fall from the bedroom wall." -- Moon of Dust

Following their infectious & cartoony debut "Let It Bee" and the polished (if less bracing) follow-up "Honey Lingers," the Beehive's bubble burst. Leaders Tracey Bryn and Melissa Belland endured a series of personal & professional blows that broke their hearts and estranged them from their bandmates. Bereft of inspiration, the sisters finally met with veteran producer Pete Vettese who challenged them to get up, wipe away the tears, and channel their lost innocence back into music. And thus did the Beehive sisters rediscover their "voice" and create their masterpiece -- a jangle-pop album of 11 highly personal songs conveying humor, hurt and hope via soaring melodies, radiant harmonies and gorgeous pop production. The Beehive's poppy, funny, alterna-chick sensibility is front & center, but there's also an aching maturity to their observations of love & sex, joy & misery. These lovingly imperfect gals bare their souls. The music alternates between delicate & raucous, with strings & keyboards giving way to booming drums and crunchy guitars, sometimes in the same song. And each one sports lyrics so smart, big-hearted and on-target, you'll think they're telling YOUR story -- whether it's one of lost love, self-discovery, domestic abuse, closeted sexuality, heartbreak & hope, survival & starting over. Luckily, the lyrics are included.

Alternately tearful & defiant, bittersweet & euphoric, "Sex & Misery" is one of the frothiest works in the 90's new-wave catalog. A delightful slice of overlooked pop music. Girl-Beatle enthusiasts should take note.

"Well I knew that it would end but I would do the same again/ I just wanted the feeling of you and me, to keep for a memory/ Your secret's safe with me." -- Heavenly

I have been a VOTB fan for many years, dating back to their first release in the late-80s, "Let It Bee," which was one of the first CDs I ever purchased. "Sex & Misery" definitely veers away from the catchy guitars-and-drums sound found on earlier releases, which for me was a disappointment. This album uses a larger variety of musical instruments and feels much more like adult contemporary rock, or even Christian rock, than the alternative flavor of their earlier work. The foot-tapping beats are missing, the melodies feel muted and uncompelling (even absent in a couple songs), and the whole of the CD simply lacks luster. The Belland sisters still show an aptitude for writing lyrics that are clever and thought out. If you've never purchased a VOTB album, and you prefer mainstream rock, this CD might be for you. If you already have other VOTB music in your collection...well, just be prepared for something different.

Well, Voice of the Beehive no longer exist as their record label did not do such a spectacular job promoting this album. I have a very eclectic mix of music from classical, jazz, country, pop, and so forth. This "indie" album is one of the shining jewels in it. I would encourage you to purchase this album as it has a fresh sound to it and the mystery of a band that is not so well known.

After the glorious pop masterpiece that was VOTB's second album HONEY LINGERS, the Belland sisters returned(minus their original band)with SEX & MISERY--unfortunately the second part of that title is more tell-tale than one might initially suspect. The liner notes themselves begin with Melissa Belland offering up a hint as to the emotional place the girls found themselves in following HONEY LINGERS and leading up to this resulting third album. Unfortunately, MISERY does play a huge part here--at least for the listener. The bright, melodic tunes that permeated their first two albums are all but absent here--only 'Scary Kisses' and 'New Day' conjure up the wit and charm that mark the Bellands' best songs. Songs like 'I'm Still In Love' and 'Love Locked Inside' appear as though the corporate rock gods got their hands on the group in the interim of the two albums, with utterly mundane and mediocre results. Which is the saddest thing of all--the old VOTB was NEVER in a million years mundane or mediocre. With this record, they've suffered the worst of all fates--they've become ordinary.

I bought this CD back in 1995 along with Garbage's first album, when both groups had a single on the air. For VOTB, it was "Scary Kisses." I would say that the album itself isn't bad for pop music, and in fact it typifies it: a few songs are very good, most are okay, and a few are hmmmmmm.... For me, my favorite is "Scary Kisses" followed closely by "New Day." The rest of the songs are decent, but from the second song, the album changes tune, so to speak; the first two are pop radio material, and the rest are reserved for tough VOTB fans. I must admit that I preferred the Garbage CD to this one, although I most certainly dig it out often enough. So, buy it if you like 'em, pass it up if you don't.