Hive Mind Stream of Consciousness Review

Today I listened to Hive Mind, the latest project from Neo-Soul group The Internet. Instead of a traditional review, I wrote down all my thoughts in a stream of consciousness style, sorting them by track. Hopefully, this experiment will illuminate what I listen for in music and my thought process. Postive thoughts are in blue, negative thoughts are in red, and general observations are in black.



1. Come Together
This is a super funky track, and it just started.
I don't know what the chorus is saying.
There is a spacey feeling to this song.
Nice flute.
This would make great background music nothing cuts through the mix.
Nothing sticks out. Maybe this is like a musical palate cleanser, getting my ears ready for some funky soul music.

2. Roll (Burbank Funk)
This drum track is super syncopated. 
This bass line is amazing.
Finally, I can a voice that cuts through the music. 
These synth stabs add a ton of atmosphere.
All night. All night. All night.

3. Come Over
The simple, heavy drumbeat contrasts poorly with the seductive vocals
The phrasing on this guitar solo is amazing. 
This spoken word outro is odd. I'm not a fan.

4. La Di Da
I like the clavinet sound.
This track was so bland it didn't inspire any thoughts.  

5. Stay the Night
This acoustic intro is lush and beautiful.
Vocals are soft but sensual. Catchy hook, the harmony sounds great.

6. Bravo
Tight lyrics. Suave lamentations on lost love, but very bitter. 
Similar instrumentals to the rest of the album.

7. Mood
This drumbeat is really interesting.
The rest is not.

8.Next Time/ Humble Pie
The hook is wordy and complicated, but it is relatable to any listener.
Incredible melody.
This song is more downbeat than the rest of the album, very chill.
Standout song. 

9. It Gets Better
The tempo is picking up again.
Mellow but still very funky.
I can't tell if this interlude is rap or spoken word.
Either way, I like it.

10. Look What U Started
I feel like I've heard this song three times on this album already. 

11. Wanna Be
These instrumentals are starting to bleed together.
The "Wanna Be" and "want to be" are a good play on words.

12. Beat Goes On.

Fat sounding synth bass line, which is amazing. 
Dissonant notes add a lot of character.
Great synth arpeggios give the song flair
This is the best song on the album. 

13. Hold On
Bleh. Boring and long.

Conclusion: The instrumentals are tight and funky, but the album fails to hold my attention. With only a couple standout tracks, this album works better as background music. 

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