Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Though it seems as light as cirrus clouds drifting over a summer afternoon, Holy Hive’s Float Back to You revolves around a dynamic center. The band’s foundation lies in the taut percussion of Homer Steinweiss, whose studio credits include stints with Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, and Charles Bradley. Joe Harrison’s loping basslines marry Steinweiss with Paul Spring’s high, gentle vocals, making the New York trio’s debut full-length an inviting and loose-limbed collection.
A deep sense of longing drives Float Back to You, from the track titles—“Oh I Miss Her So,” “Float Back to You,” “Be Thou By My Side,” and “You Will Always Be By My Side Forever”—straight on down. But it’s a longing that feels more inspired by enthusiasm and eagerness than anxiety. It’s a love that opens outward, instead of one blemished by possessiveness. The trio deftly slips between different shades of sanguinity, leaning more into soul on opener “Broom” and toeing closer to psychedelia on “Red Is the Rose.” Horns provide an occasional gleam, and the warm glow of the songs often approaches incandescence. Float Back to You is a patient percolation, with Holy Hive leveraging moments of slow-burning groove to make an easygoing album feel all the more inviting.
