Hinds: The Prettiest Curse
With The Prettiest Curse Hinds shrug off any remaining lo-fi accusations and unveil a dizzyingly widescreen beast of an album, not so much a shift as a quantum leap in their evolution as a band. This is a record positively bursting with life, with the band finally harnessing the full extent of their pop prowess and unleashing songs which sound bigger, bolder, and more complex than anything they have done before. Which isn’t to say they have turned their backs on “being Hinds” – quite the opposite in fact! Here, they double down on what, precisely, makes them so special – the bright melodies betraying heart-breaking themes of isolation and betrayal, the empowering, don’t mess with us all-girl gang glow – while going even further. For the first time, they prominently sing in their native tongue, plus on the artwork they work with a childhood hero, the Spanish photographer Ouka Leele with magical results. You know how people say that a drop of balsamic vinegar makes strawberries taste more strawberry-ish? Well, On “The Prettiest Curse”, Hinds sound even more Hinds-ish, and the results are marvellous.
So, under the watchful production eye of Jenn Decilveo we have the foursome of Amber Grimbergen, Ana Perrote, Carlotta Cosials and Ade Martin dabbling in distortion, layered guitars and swirling samples on the bigger than life lead single “Riding Solo”, while on the new single “Good Bad Times” we have a song about highly dysfunctional relationships sounding as if it wouldn’t feel out of place on Tame Impala’s slanted and enchanted pop cannon.
Elsewhere, the raucous “Burn” and “Just Like Kids (Miau)” show that Hinds have lost none of their flair for sass and wilfulness, while “Come Back and Love Me <3” is a haunting serenade which starts off simply with wistful, Spanish guitar plucking. It’s a wild ride for sure but one which you will not want to miss out on.
