LEAVE ME ALONE by Hinds
Genre: Lo-Fi Indie
Favorite Tracks: “Fat Calmed Kiddos,” “Bamboo,” “Walking Home”
Hinds have an exceptional talent for unsynchronized, charismatic harmonizing, the kind of collective wailing a squad of close pals manage to give birth to at some karaoke bar. The all-female quartet from Madrid, Spain create an entrancing and magnetic mix of indie-pop and scuzzy garage rock, sung with voices that take a piss out of the buoyant girl-group stereotype. LEAVE ME ALONE says it all. These women are here to lay down their feminine-charged domain and subvert the listener with a witty combo of bubblegum falsetto, empowering lyrics, and ambling tempos.
Hinds’ sound draws from a myriad of female-fronted garage-pop, bearing close resemblance to La Luz, Vivian Girls, and Girlpool. The familiar elements? Lighthearted melodies topped off with some sultry snide. However, upon listening, LEAVE ME ALONE seemed to contradict its cover, turning into an album of female vulnerability. In an effort to tear their heart off their sleeve, these Spaniards realized the virtue of transparency.
Stepping away from the goofy demeanor showcased on a split single with fellow Spaniards, Parrots, for Burger Records, the ladies of Hinds have decided to focus their debut on various romantic encounters. Some songs are punctuated with intense longing as singers Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote wail, “please don’t leave me” on the track “Fat Calmed Kiddos,” while others seem inane and unflustered. “I want you to call me by my name when I am lying on your bed/I pray you to stay away while I’m talking with your friends,” Cosials playfully belts on the track “Bamboo” as she toys with a crush. “Bamboo” is a tune about capricious commitments punctuated by moody swings of desire.
Varied emotions all call towards an unpretentious display of romantic confusion. But why all the fuss? Hinds concludes with a track entitled “Walking Home,” an easy-going declaration of love garnished with sweet metaphor and a light tropical beat. “You’re the map to my toe/You’re the rice of my bowl,” Perrote softly sings. The quartet’s final verdict: love shouldn’t be complicated.
LEAVE ME ALONE ’s zestful mix of frenzied jangles and smooth jams won’t disappoint those looking for a perky groove from some playful Spaniards.
Verdict: Recommend
Sabina Fooks
Sabina's a guest contributor here at Crossfader. When she's not preoccupied with consuming copious amounts of FAMILY FEUD and cereal, you can find her at your local music venue, fiercely avoiding her hankering for more Steve Harvey and frosted mini wheats.
