Struggle In The Hive
Struggle In The Hive
Future Appletree Records

The melancholic, timid, and dark Struggle In The Hive is a collaborative effort between Illinois musicians B. Patric and Nigel Jeffrey. Loosely joined, the two song-writers have assembled an album’s worth of new tunes for emo/down-tempo indie rock lovers to feast upon.

Throughout the album, Patric and Jeffrey sing in a register so low they are barely audible. The out of range notes help accomplish a feeling of despondency, but it seems as though the band’s desired product is closer to that of a Magnetic Fields song. The difference? Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields has the full range of a bass vocalist, and B. Patric and Nigel Jeffrey do not. The strength of the vocals varies too much from song to song, however, the music itself manages to remain consistent with its quiet & almost humble sound. The guitar and drums are never loud or overstated and provide a comfortable backdrop for the subdued vocals.

In the end, Struggle In The Hive’s sometimes unpolished vocals, occasional undetermined tonality, intermittently trite lyrics, and unrelenting melancholic quality make their product definitively rough around the edges. While their record may be a toilsome listen for some, if a raw and somber sound is what you crave, Struggle In The Hive may be just what you are looking for.

MP3
Summer Nights
Angela

Website
Struggle in the Hive Myspace page