Premiere: Bee Appleseed, All Is Forgiven

Starflower's Cosmic Soul rises

Bee Appleseed, who has a decade’s worth of touring and lo-fi bootleg folk recordings under his belt, returns with his sophomore solo effort, a coming-of-age in songcraft and lyricism that marks him as a definitive voice in modern youth counterculture. Those familiar with Appleseed’s previous work will recognize Starflower’s Cosmic Soul as a culmination of his earlier pursuits. This heavy-hitting rock ‘n’ roll odyssey aims to transport listeners through a vortex of timeless space and catchy melodies.

After his 2018 debut, Backpacker Blues—which dealt with his years experiencing the tumult and hardships of homelessness—a fateful encounter with an elder Native American shaman he met while searching for a place to crash altered his course. She invited him to her family farm outside San Luis Obispo, and, as a practicing energy healer, she altered Bee’s perspective. Starflower’s Cosmic Soul explores his awakening of spirit in an uplifting psych-folk opus.

Appleseed assembled a 15-piece band in Portland to play on Starflower’s Cosmic Soul, and his uninhibited voice is supported by an array of saxophones, piano, organ, guitar, bass, drums and choir, a powerful and impassioned group effort on a quest to discover the cosmic soul within. The album is a rollercoaster of soulful rock ‘n’ roll with a message of optimism and a yearning for the future, a perfect soundtrack for seekers and dreamers. Hear a glimpse: