The Internet – Hive Mind
The Internet return with their fourth studio album Hive Mind, proving that while the world goes to shit we can still have a good time
There’s a palpable sense of ‘getting the gang back together’ on Hive Mind – which is crazy considering it’s only been three years since The Internet’s last album. Maybe it’s because, after the release of the excellent Ego Death in 2015, all five members quietly made names for themselves as solo artists, each releasing a well-received project over the past year-and-a-half. On Hive Mind, the positive impact of their time apart is quickly apparent. The opener, Come Together is mature and quietly devastating in spite of its perky rhythm, an emblem of solidarity in the face of senseless violence. There’s little else here in the way of political statements, though, to the album’s benefit.
Taking cues from Prince’s end of the world party 1999, dancing through the chaos is the clear through-line of Hive Mind. Squelching guitars and kinetic basslines are in ample supply and, like with Ego Death, romance is the album’s lifeblood. The spirit of The Purple One is also felt in the confident sensuality of lead singer Syd. 'I can turn you on / With my dirty mind,' she winks to a coy lover on Come Over while bandmate Christopher Smith lays down a severe drumbeat that slams against her caramel-smooth vocals. Nobody said we couldn’t have a good time while the world goes to shit.
Listen to: Come Over, La Di Da, It Gets Better (With Time)