The Internet’s new album Hive Mind is a sensuous showcase of the group’s individual and collective talents.
The Internet were in for a challenge when they decided to work on a follow up for their third album Ego Death, which was nominated for a Grammy. Not likely to shy away from a challenge, Odd Future cohorts Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians re-teamed with Steve Lacy and Patric Paige II to work on their R&B neo-soul follow up ‘Hive Mind’.
Hive Mind is appropriately named given how it truly sounds like the merging together of four unique, talented artists. Despite the members recently going their own ways to work on solo projects, the album does not sound like an ego-driven clamber for the limelight. Instead, it sounds like four minds coming together to not only create something new but to showcase how talented each of their fellow band mates is.
The general feel of the album is smooth, sensual and chilled. “It Get’s Better (With Time)” and “Wanna Be” are erotically charged and show off Syd’s gorgeous voice. “Look What U started” on the other hand, is a little angrier and impassioned. Syd sings: “Know you got it coming, babe / You took this s**t from zero to a hundred, babe /
I hope you finally get it on your judgment day / ‘Cause you’re gonna pay babe, you’re gonna pay babe.” It’s not just the lyrics which make the track feel like it’s coming from personal experience, her voice is convincing and loaded with emotion.
“Bravo” feels like a slight curve ball, differing enough from tracks like “Wanna Be” to keep the album deliciously interesting but not so different that it throws the listener off completely. Unsurprisingly given the group’s hip hop roots, the rhythms which run through the album are deeply enticing. ‘Come Together’ is a good example of this given its jazzy double-bass part crossed over lo-fi beats.
Overall, Hive Mind is a sultry, chilled and curiously arousing album. Each track lures you in some way or another and the continuous flow and rhythm of the album along with the shared vocals and compelling lyrics keep you deeply involved with the music from start to finish. A beautiful effort.
