7) The Internet – Hive Mind

If you’re familiar with Odd Future, or OFWGKTA, or (ok, let’s spell it out) Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, you’re forgiven for being turned off at first to find out The Internet’s connection to all of that insanity. The Los Angeles alternative hip-hop collective was the definition of a niche, but you can’t fault them, as they exploited their misunderstood, vulgar, skate culture into big money. Their (assumed) breakup in 2015 spawned all their members to release solo records, and while Earl Sweatshirt continues to stay dark and experimental, Tyler The Creator goes in every direction known to man (which is not a complaint – he’s had numerous solid releases), and Frank Ocean rose to underground stardom and then took celebrity status too far – the constant, and easily most respectable act to come out of it all – was The Internet. The lone female in the group, Syd (aka Syd Tha Kyd as she was known in OFWGKTA) fronts this fantastic, downtempo neo-soul collective. Their fourth record is wonderful – The structure is very free-flowing, and any verse/chous structure is very loose. Come Over is a late night in a suburban neighborhood, searching for what we all search for, and crossing our fingers. La Di Da is easily the groove for unsteady Saturday night feet, and It Gets Better (With Time) puts its arm around your shoulder and holds you close on the dirty pavement. This winter, when the cold gets unbearable, make your fire, pour your wine, and spin Hive Mind. After that, follow with the rest of their catalog, and Syd’s 2017 solo release, Fin.

Listen To: Come Over

Columbia Records, July 20th, 2018