As singer/guitarist Atticus Sorrell was putting out an excellent solo album in 2022, his project The Be Colony had been recording in their home studio for three years, crafting Be III. 

Along with Sorrell, mainstays Jacob Terhune and Bray Coughlin return to The Be Colony, along with a list of friends and musicians to help craft their third — and best — album yet. 

Be III keeps the soulful and psychedelic vibes rolling, while adding jazz and jam vibes to great effect. 

“Life Could Be” opens Be III with touches of Sly & The Family Stone and that early ’90s loose guitar groove of Blind Melon, all rolled into a Midwest rock n’ soul package. Sorrell’s vocals hang in the air with soul and grace, hinting at The Eagles’ Timothy Schmit at times. 

“Leezy’s Walk” is a nice and greasy guitar jam: loose riff and a funky rhythm set the stage for an almost psych rock squall that leads into “Up & Out,” a low-key and mellow rocker. 

The Be Colony have perfected the sleepy, hazy vibes of mid-70s funk, locking into session musician majesty of bands like ARS and Steely Dan but with more wiggle room to go off script when they feel the urge to. 

Elsewhere, “Cobb Salad” spreads the jam generously, somehow bringing together the spirit of Little Feat and Gov’t Mule. You’ll want to crank this one up. 

“Out of Reach” is kind of an outlier, dreamy and hazy with touches of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Guitars are played here with a kind of loose abandon, much like UMO’s Ruban Nielson. This is a striking track and an exciting avenue to see The Be Colony going down. 

“JJNB” is another uncharted sonic avenue for the band with touches of jazz thrown in that would fit right into the International Anthem Records roster. 

The last three years since Be II was released have seen the band grow exponentially, in musicianship, sonic expansion, and willingness to stretch creatively and artistically. 

Be III is a fantastic record, one you will happily hit play on over and over again.