Hive Riot, a new duo out of New York, just released “Sherlock,” a colorfully minimalist synthpop gem.
The catchy cut sounds like the result of an experiment that combines the best parts of Glass Candy, The Cardigans, and Paperwhite.
There’s Glass Candy’s arpeggiated-bass and drum-machine-driven minimalism, coupled with that duo’s all-around unchecked optimism.
Singer Mindy Gledhill’s vocals are reminiscent of Nina Persson’s tempered and bittersweet style, hushed but powerful beyond their charge.
Around that is Paperwhite’s stratospheric reach — an ability to take intimacy between two people and shoot it into the sky to create some type of universal empathy.
The single is dipped several times in a sweet syrup that sticks in the spaces between the controlled cascade of synthesizers and Gledhill’s vocals, but it doesn’t detract from the song. It only helps to make it an instantly pleasing and memorable track.
Hive Riot is made up of Dustin Gledhill and Mindy Gledhill, a singer-songwriter, actress, and DJ. They’re reportedly releasing a full album in January. You can get “Sherlock” now, though, via the usual digital stores.
I’ll sign off by saying that this is certainly another band I’d like to see collaborate with Phantom Ride. One day, maybe. One day.
