7/10

Since their conception, The Internet have always looked to be the successor to The Roots, taking hip-hop out of the pre-packaged commercially-led dynamic and giving the genre a dose of live instrumentation instead. Over the years, their work has usually been a mixed affair, indulging themselves in the contemporary sound of rap music rather than sticking to their guns throughout every full-length. But since the release of Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly', the sound of hip-hop has been slowly moving towards what they have been doing all along, making this return their most high-profile to date.

From the start, 'Hive Mind' likes to think of itself as a musical album rather than a hip-hop one. While the style and direction still remains focused on their chosen path, the amount of actual rapping and even vocals for that matter, seems to have taken a backseat over their own production. The band have seen that they themselves are the driving force of their music, and as a result have ensured that their performance remains at the centre of this new release, allowing them to really branch their sound out and spread their creative wings.

It definitely feels like there is a renewed confidence within the group as it plays. Nothing really reaches out and grabs you, but instead invites you in with a warm and inviting flow that just sounds fantastic to listen to. A strong return from a group with far more to offer than we thought.