
If it's possible for music to be spiritual without being religious, then Thao Nguyen and the Get Up Stay Down have accomplished that feat. "We Brave Bee Stings and All" is a triumph. The music fairly simple, bordering on bubble-gum pop, made all the more sweet by Thao Nguyen's delightful vocals. But beneath the crispy marshmallow façade are deceptively deep lyrics. Lines are thrown about like towels and shirts by the side of a summer pool . . . "I reached high, high, high/As I high as I was able/Such a small small kid/At the [...]