Hinds- Leave Me Alone

Released: 1/9/16, via Mom+ Pop

6/7 stars

The Spanish queens of Hinds are bringing summer with them everywhere they go. Thanks to the release of their debut album Leave Me Alone on Mom + Pop Music, the world doesn’t have to wait for a concert to feel their warm vibes. Their lo-fi style is a personal invitation to party. Every once in a while, tiny imperfections in the guitar and vocal tracks bring a raw quality, like there are only a few inches of microphone between you and the girls. Even the album art beckons the listener to join in on the fun.

In the 12 recordings that make up the album, and there isn’t a weak one in the bunch. Carlotta Cosials (guitar, vocals), Ana Garcia Perrote (guitar, vocals), Ade Martin (bass) and Amber Grimbergen (drums) romance listeners through surf guitars and pop-sensible melodies; many of the tracks feature short, crisp guitar quips that imitate the vocals.

The girls have cleverly managed to hold redundancy at arm’s length. Each track tracks maintain a consistent sound, binding the album as a whole. After listening, you’ll become very familiar with the springy reverb in their guitars, but you’ll never feel like you’re listening to the same song over and over again. “I’ll Be Your Man” may start with the same chord progression as “Chili Town”, but it’s almost like an acoustic epilogue to its predecessor.

Cosials and Perrote’s vocal ping-pong match is one of the strongest characteristics of this band. It’s also what makes the group so unique. Cosials often takes the lead with her soft crooner style before Perrote interjects with true rock attack. The fact that their English is a bit flawed works to Hinds’ advantage in that the lyrics never sound overly planned. Cosials and Perrote sing what they’re feeling, and sometimes that includes a scream or two. There is great freedom expressed in their music.

There’s also great spunk.

As the album’s title suggests, these girls don’t want anyone telling them what to do. Hinds' strong will is palpable throughout the album. They scoff at gender rules and barriers in songs like “And I Will Send Your Flowers Back” and “I’ll Be Your Man.” In the latter, Cosials and Perrote sing, “I could be your baby, but I’ll be your man."

Even this early in their career, Hinds has proven that they don’t need to be men in order to succeed in the world of rock music. The album has a few love songs, but the overall theme is one of independence. There’s so much personality dripping from each track. Introduce your ears to near perfection in broken English.

1. Garden


2. Fat Calmed Kiddos


3. Warts


4. Easy


5. Castigadas En El Granero


6. Solar Gap


7. Chili Town


8. Bamboo


9. San Diego


10. And I Will Send Your Flowers Back


11. I’ll Be Your Man


12. Walking Home