What in the Chris Hansen is this album cover?

I Need An Adult

Do you ever see something on the internet, intentionally or not at all, that causes you to question whether or not you are on a watchlist somewhere? Upon viewing this EP cover, I think I am on a watchlist somewhere and now you all are as well. You are welcome, let’s all form an acapella group in Federal Prison. We can call ourselves something awesome like the ‘Minor Threa…’, never mind. You stay on your side of the yard, and I will stay on mine. Let’s pretend that none of us ever even heard of this band that gives me some serious R Kelly vibes in the ‘no no bad touch’ kind of way and examine them… closer… not THAT close though.

The band (emphasis theirs) SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE is a… band… I think that creates… something in the form of music. This one came to me as a single song recommendation but that would be cheating to just do a single song! Some personal things happened this week that took away my attention from the two big album reviews I’ve been working on, so I needed something a little lighter this week… and I saw that this song was from an 11-minute EP and that seems like a happy medium between being lazy and being smrt so here we are. Back to the BEEHIVE.

Hive…MINDED

Trying to determine how to categorize SOTB is tricky because on the EP in question they shift pretty wildly from electronic/industrial to melodic/synth rock and sometimes do some pretty PG-13 things with the limits of those genres within a single 3-minute song. All in all, (de-emphasis theirs) “i’m so lucky” is a very uncomfortable yet unmistakenly striking midnight stroll down a sketchy alleyway behind a liquor store with a stranger you met online who told you they looked exactly like Uma Thurman but upon meeting IRL you discover they more closely resemble a chubby version of Tom Brady. Like, ewww! But… you still kind of want to see what is at the end of this alley. Tim Brady swears its breadsticks from Olive Garden and it’s been like 6 months since you had one of those… alright Tim, SWEEP ME OFF MY FEET!

Track by Track

human debenture

If you start here (which you should) you will get a literal crash course into what tickles SOTB right in their weird… Being an affectionate lover of all things synthesizers this track establishes some gorgeous production with lush guitar chords and reverb drenched vocals played over some thumping bass and drum samples that slowly simmer into what you expect will be an explosive chorus only to take your ears on a sharp left turn into Nine Inch Nails territory with stabbing distorted synth chords and the vocals coming back with the ‘hell demon’ knob cranked just ALL the way up to 666.

One note before we continue… there is noticeable attention given to listening to these songs on headphones that can let the low end breath while also immersing you in the stereo panning they use pretty abundantly. Especially on the tracks with the real warbly reverb, it can get almost dizzying but very much adds to the overall experience. Listening on your phone speakers is not recommended with these guys.

really happening

This one is so pretty… this is the song I was initially recommended and for good reason. It is melodic and floats almost peacefully while we get some cool glitchy samples strewn about while Zack Schwartz vocals (who sounds eerliy similar to Damon Albarn btw) duet back and forth with them perfectly. There is this underlying feeling of ‘unease’ simmering just beneath the surface though. Like watching Willy Wonka for the first time and were juuuust about to reach the satanic oompaloompa butthole tunnel in the chocolate factory. We see it just around the next bend, like maybe we should get off this ride here and not… go… into… th…

tapeworm

I don’t consider myself much of a wordsmith, so let me just say this… ‘nope’. Does this track slap? Yes, yes it absolutely fucking slaps. Will you want to listen to it more than once? Nah… just nah… Production wise it is phenomenal, there is a feeling they want you to feel while you listen to it and the way they project their nightmare fuel into your brain is commendable. Everything from the piercing, distorted synths to the absolute madness that is the screaming vocals… or samples? I honestly could not tell if I was listening to Schwartz having a manic episode or it was a vocal sample that had been damned to hell and rose again through the mixing console 6 days later. It is ‘effective’ at what it sets out to do. It is the sound and feeling of a tapeworm working itself through your grey matter. It is a song that I do not enjoy listening to but very much enjoyed experiencing. You have been warned.

natural devotion 2

After we pass the brain tapeworm, we need to take a shower and this track gives us a good pallet cleanse. We are drenched by sparkly synths and lovely vocal melodies again. I adore the drumbeats at the midway point keeping us on guard by forcing our brains to anticipate where they are going to take us but always abruptly subverting our expectation. It is very reminiscent of a track you would expect from a band like Beach House it is that pretty and whimsical but still retains this very eerie and distressing drama beneath its surface.

Conclusion: Its a Bop!

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE based on this EP alone are artisans of crafting intricate and precise feelings through their instrumentation. You could remove every single vocal track and still be left with a mesmerizing descent into and re-escape from utter madness. I really enjoyed this EP for its ability to constantly bend and pull the listener through its tightly winding sonic hallways. Like the orderly at an institution leading us to our padded cell. At the end of this short journey, we are left satisfied but still very empty at the same time.

I thought this was the line to get TayTay Tickets?

“Dinner is at 4, lights out by 8. Dont mind Neal next door… he screams a lot but in time his miseries will become your lullabies. Good night friend, it only gets more concerning from here… SOTB’s EP prior to this one features a song called (emphasis theirs) I SUCK THE DEVILS COCK and it’s weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird…”

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE- i’m so lucky