Welcome to Ear 2 Da Sky! Each week, I will be going over topics within music culture and reviewing albums and EPs across genres, eras and artists that are submitted by readers like you, and listeners of my radio show, ear 2 da ground, every Wednesday at 11 p.m. on WHUS 91.7 FM! On this 74 degrees, partly cloudy day, I was blessed with the opportunity to listen to a precursor of summer: The Internet’s “Hive Mind.”
Released on July 20, 2018, “Hive Mind” was the group’s fourth studio album, coming three years after their third, “Ego Death” and has left the world in anticipation for a fifth ever since. The album title name is an ode to the fact that they have matured as artists, respectively, and synced back up to create this 12 song, 56 minute album.
The first track aptly being named “Come Together,” as the two lead vocalists, Steve Lacy and Syd overlap their vocals and snake in and out of each other’s verses over the slow and concentrated instrumental with some bass from Lacy and Patrick Paige II that really hits you. Syd and Lacy share the vocal spotlight on the simple but sweet chorus repeating “They gon’ get us to come together.”
Track two picks up the energy with “Roll (Burbank Funk).” More bass from Paige opens the floor for Lacy who comes in with a sort of funk-rock delivery on verse one of “Listen to your heart / Listen to your heart / What’s it sayin’?” This sound and delivery is something he would explore further on future projects. Lacy and Syd bounce around on the instrumental throughout the chorus, setting up for the fun post-chorus where Syd takes the lead. They let the instrumental get its own moments which I appreciate, as the production of this album is incredibly well done.
Third on the album is one of the most popular tracks off the project as well as the second single released prior to “Hive Mind.” Syd takes a little over five minutes to walk the listener through a previous relationship she had. She takes us through the classic feeling of love and lust, and the annoyance that comes with the push and pull of romantic indecision. Syd strings this story along atop this sharp hitting instrumental due to the drums from Matt Martians before calling on Steve Lacy for a soulful guitar solo.
“La Di Da” is the fourth song off the project. A fun funk track where Syd gets very boastful and bombastic, talking about how she “might snatch up your wife,” and how independent she is within her coolness. You can see this independency through the way she speaks in the first verse, “Get out my way, talk if you wanna / Me, I’m a goner, peace / I’m a hard act to follow, keep up your autumn.”
She flips verse one in the second, still speaking from a place of independence, but this time with more confidence, “Get back, I’m rollin’ away / All in my face, chat with you later / Go find your posse, please.”
In track 11, “Wanna Be,” The Internet explores more on romance and blossoming relationships, with Syd serving as the front woman for this one. She recalls the feeling of having a crush, constantly thinking about them, nervous to be more than friends, questioning if they feel the same and scared of what may happen if things don’t go right. She gets on the hook with the simple question of whether or not she wants to be her girl. Syd starts off each hook repeating her question before spitting it out at the end, sort of as if she was stuttering trying to build up the confidence to finally ask.
The Internet’s “Hive Mind” is a genre-blending celebration of each members’ respective abilities as they had all worked on their crafts and instrumental talents, releasing various projects on their own. With that said, I think there are a few songs that will have to grow on you, but when they do, you will absolutely love them.
Rating: 4/5
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