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Album Review: Leave Me Alone // Hinds

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct altmusicbox in 2016.


Source: Stereogum
I hesitate to use the term ‘girl band’ when talking about Spanish four piece Hinds (FKA Deers). You’d never hear an all-male band referred to as such, and whilst these four madrileñas are shaking up the gender politics of the garage rock scene, the fact that they are women does not override but in fact brings a unique new dynamic to their summery, ramshackle indie pop. “It’s so difficult because there are so few women in rock that people see you as a woman first, not in garage or pop or any genre… We’re gonna disappoint you as perfect women. In rock, no one is perfect,” vocalist Ana Perrote told i-D of the band’s experiences.
The foursome’s hotly anticipated debut ‘Leave Me Alone’ is characterised by a jangly, upbeat sound complete with fuzzy surf pop riffs, chugging drums and delightfully dazed vocals. Formed in the Spanish capital in 2011, Perrote, Charlotta Cosials, Ade Martin and Amber Grimbergen’s summery brand of dream pop drew the local and international music press to their Bandcamp page where things quickly took off for the girls. Soft pop melodies meld with laid back noise rock, and parallels with the nineties scene and contemporary female rockers are inevitable though not at all uncomplimentary; think the energy of the Pixies or perhaps something between a scuzzier Haim and less angry Hole.
Having gained a reputation for their high octane live shows as they spent 2015 tirelessly touring across Europe, ‘Leave Me Alone’ is an unabashedly fun album, striking a perfect balance between emotion and danceable indie anthems. Lead singles ‘Chili Town’ (with its wonderful video) and ‘Garden’ are the ideal soundtrack to long, warm hazy days and Hinds can turn everything from warts to drunk texting into a delicious and effortlessly cool song. Amid oversized shirts, denim and long hair, songs in their native tongue such as ‘Castigadas en el Granero’ compliment their noisy yet sugar sweet sound, bringing a little serving of Mediterranean sunshine to the British Isles. ‘Bamboo’ is strangely reminiscent of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Get Off My Cloud’, injected with the chicas’ signature fuzzy guitar.
Hinds aren’t a band to let the boys tell them how they should tune their instruments either, and this kick-ass femininity is never more apparent than on ‘And I Will Send Your Flowers Back’ as Charlotta chants “I could be your baby / But I’ll be your man”. These grungier songs juxtapose with more shoegaze-influenced moments like on ‘Solar Gap’, always keeping the listener on their toes. With the LP clocking in at a mere thirty eight minutes, you can’t help but feel that ‘Leave Me Alone’ is only a small slice of what Hinds have to offer and as for 2016, the fiesta is only just beginning.
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