Review: The Internet – Hive Mind

After a three year break and each member releasing a solo project, The Internet return with their fourth album, Hive Mind. Following the release of their Grammy-nominated 2015 album Ego Death, it was clear that this band was only going to grow from strength to strength. Some critics may have found it unusual that after their first major breakthrough, they decided to focus on their individual projects rather than the group as a whole. However, after listening to this album, any questions regarding their decisions have to be dismissed as it is clear that each member has perfected their craft as their sound has matured and developed significantly.

Hive Mind is an album that brings together the individual genius of each member with Patrick Paige’s funky bass lines, fused with Steve Lacy’s subtle relaxing guitar, Matt Martian’s ever present futuristic production, Christopher Smith’s soulful drum beats and Syd’s angelic vocals. The album opens with ‘Come Together’, which seems to be the overall theme of the project, indicated by its title and the journey that the group has taken. The song introduces listeners to the neo-soul vibe of the group, with the chorus emphasising “they gone get us to come together,” showing that the despite their short split, they were always going to reconnect for the fans. 

The following three songs are taken up by the singles of the album, ‘Roll (Burbank Funk)’, ‘Come Over’ and ‘La Di Da’. The group chose these singles perfectly, with each of them being an accurate representation of what was to be expected on the album, with Syd – the lead singer that oozes tranquility – singing over soulful beats telling stories of her previous lovers. ‘Come Over’ even features a solo riff from Steve Lacy, which acts as an indicator towards his music prowess that continues to grow.

‘Stay The Night’ reminds me of Ego Death, with the simple but effective drum beat and bassline, acting as a contender for song of the album. This is followed by the slightly more abrasive ‘Bravo’ which is composed around a loud off-beat gunshot sound, however it does not seem out of place and after multiple listens, the song seems to grow on you. Overall, the album shows a continuous progression of improvement from the band and their decision to not have any features further exudes their self-belief and strength in coming together, with their sound clearly maturing and becoming their own.

Hive Mind is available now via Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment.