After their surprising 2015 breakthrough album Ego Death, The Internet are suddenly the darlings of the indie music world. Their lead singer, Sydney “Syd” Bennett, has become a genuine star. Their bass player is about to follow suit. The follow-up in the wake of this success is Hive Mind, an album that tries to capture that same creamy fusion of jazz, hip-hop and R&B from their breakthrough. The result shows a band perfecting its craft while offering some true daringly artistic promise. It will make you want them to unshackle the chains on their next one.

The real reason why Ego Death snowballed into a success was because of The Internet’s newfound confidence trumpeted largely by their lead singer, Syd. On that album, she hissed through compositions deftly crafted by Matt Martians, speaking on lost love and sweet nothings. She had an acute sense of when to engage in falsetto, and Martians knew to be careful not to drown her out. Hive Mind shows them tweaking this balance, sometimes doubling up by having Syd back up her own vocals to add a little heft. Steve Lacy (guitar/bass) assists on five tracks to ease the burden on a delicate, sometimes-frail singing voice.

It all comes together on ‘La Di Da’, which stands tall as the best thing on this album by a fair way and shows what The Internet could probably do if they stepped outside their wheelhouse a bit more often. The track starts with a twisting, slithering guitar loop courtesy of Lacy before Syd flies in arms swinging, all cockiness and bravado (“I move like the silent G in designer/real talk, something to say/My groove right, I might snatch up your wife/smooth like it’s nothin’ to me”). These days, she’s easy to believe. The effortlessly catchy hook comes courtesy of Lacy. It’s a song with a lot more propulsion and ‘dance’ in it than the average The Internet song, and it’s a welcome switch-up early in the album. Nothing really hits the heights of ‘La Di Da’, but there is plenty else to like.

In fact, the first four tracks on the album are all standouts. ‘Come Together’ sounds like it could’ve slid right into Ego Death with its snapping bassline and crowd-pleasing chorus. ‘Roll [Burbank Funk]’ has another cutting Lacy bassline that sits deep in the track while he coos over the intro (“listen to your heart/what’s it saying?”). ‘Come Over’ is all Syd – she dominates the track, making what is ultimately an ode to booty-calls sound acutely romantic.

Hive Mind is also further confirmation that the band has a future star in its guitar player. Lacy, who turned heads with his confident Steve Lacy’s Demo last year, has his hands all over the album. He plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and synthesiser over various tracks and is credited as a writer on the vast majority of them. The Internet’s best decision on this album is giving the 20-year-old free reign. His work on the guitar, both lead and bass, defines some of the better moments on the record, and his singing voice is one of the more effortlessly beautiful you’ll hear in some time.

But the album really struggles to justify its length, even at only 13 tracks. When some of the tracks feature Syd in her more-passive lover-mode they often drift into the ether – ‘Stay The Night’, ‘It Gets Better [With Time]’ and ’Wanna Be’ begin disintegrating. At its worst, the album sounds like the kind of flavourless lounge music that a young Pharrell used to dabble in. With the exception of the excellent ‘Next Time/Humble Pie’, the back half of the album needs more spice. The album is better off when it embraces Martians’ weirder, tangy Odd Future roots – think ‘Humble Pie’ – than a more traditional R&B influence. And while Bennett and Lacy know how to pen catchy lines and cutting hooks they’re still growing as songwriters, and sometimes the writing drifts from feeling relatable, to simply feeling too broad.

It also peters out to a weak conclusion with the one-two punch of ‘Beat Goes On’ and ‘Hold On’. ‘Beat Goes On’ is really a Lacy interlude, which is fine, except it drags on for an undeserved almost four-and-a-half minutes. And where you might expect a grand finish, you get ‘Hold On’, which has a punchy bassline but would sound more at home at an IKEA.

Still, even over some of the weaker tracks there is too much talent in this ensemble to be dampened. Many songs have beautiful flourishes that lift them particularly in their last minute or so. ‘Come Over’ has a cute ending verse courtesy of Lacy, ‘Bravo’ would be forgettable if it didn’t end with some striking harmonising from Syd and ‘It Gets Better [With Time]’ has a surprisingly great outro by bass player Patrick Paige III (“ain’t waiting on nothing, not even no reparations/heavily meditating, but it gets better with time/and I’m sober now, no alcohol to hide behind”).

Hive Mind, then, feels like a continuation of the successful notes that Ego Death hit. It’s a more assured record, one that will sound great at any party or after that second joint kicks in. At its best, it hints at the band maybe releasing a truly transcendent record. That should get fans excited. In the meantime, this one has plenty of replay value.

7.7