The debut release from Holy Hive on Big Crown Records brings their self-described “folk soul” to the masses with clean playing, slow retro R&B styling and pristine vocals. Float Back To You is aptly titled as the music drifts along with a very relaxed pace and vibe.
The band was formed by drummer Homer Steinweiss (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Amy Winehouse) and singer/songwriter Paul Spring (Steinweiss produced albums by Spring) as they recruited Joe Harrison on bass to round out the core band. This is not a trio affair though as guests arrive to successfully flush out the sound.
The opener “Broom” instantly lays out the blueprint of Float Back To You as Spring’s falsetto voice is a bright light around the easy-rolling downbeat groove before horns come into color the track. Steinweiss percussion and slapping snare lead the way on originals “Hypnosis” and “Blue Light” while piano enters the mix on the retro soul of “Cynthia’s Celebration” as the band drifts into their serene sound.
The group has some help from talented guests as Mary Lattimore begins “Oh I Miss Her So” with harp strings and Dave Guy’s (The Roots) trumpet solo closes the best effort on the record. The track is a stunning winner that could roll on even longer as the sounds match up perfectly, while other efforts like the title track and “Didn’t You Say” both use horns to excellent effect making an argument to bring one into the group full time.
The band is reminiscent of Austin’s Black Pumas but they reach back to ancient times for different influences as they put Greek poet Sappho’s “Fragment 31” into a song with sweet soul sounds titled “Embers To Ash” and a light dance spin with programmed beats around the Irish folk tune “Red Is The Rose”. The folk influence comes out directly in a slightly more modern cover of “Be Thou By My Side” by Honeybus.
Float Back To You can lapse into sleepy sounds because of the bands style, but the group ends their debut with the relaxed groove of “You Will Always Be By Side Forever” and Springs dreamy falsetto during “Sophia’s Part”. A tranquil collection of languid tunes prove that Holy Hive is onto something with their restrained, sinuous folk/soul sound.
