It’s easy to get lost in Hinds’ new album, Leave Me Alone. The lo-fi debut from the Madrid rockers is a sunny affair; its melodies shine and harmonies kiss like a summertime afternoon. The coo and call over easy pop melodies, drawing guitar leads over chilled surf rhythms. I’m writing this review in the middle of a New England winter, and I get lost in every sunny strum and cool hook; it isn’t until the snare taps out that I’m suddenly reminded it’s actually 13 degrees outside.
Leading up to Leave Me Alone, Hinds went through a legally forced name change and grew from a two-piece songwriting duo into a full-time band. It’s a change that’s played out for the better: Leave Me Alone’s strongest moments occur when Hinds’ two vocalists weave melodies through their verses between two radiant guitars, a spelunking bassline and a laid-back drum beat. The songs never sound as full and bustling as that description suggests, but any missing piece would surely be felt. It’d be hard to imagine “Warts” without the liberty to throw in a crackling guitar riff or tandem hook.
Hinds’ ramshackle debut is all the charm of a summer afternoon. It introduces itself with sunny excitement, galloping melodies and the relaxed sheen of lo-fi guitar. But like those sun-filled afternoons, Leave Me Alone drifts, losing itself in that steady tone of summer bliss. While the beginning of the album might stand out with the shuffling “Garden” and “Warts,” Leave Me Alone blends together as it dozes into the second half; the hooks and melodies are still there and still strong, but the songs feel more like the rest of an album than they do individual tracks.
Still, Leave Me Alone is a pleasant showing from a new band, one that’s got an ear for melodies, a heart for harmonies and a hell of a way with a shimmery guitar. Even as it drifts into a July ennui, Hinds can still weave a warm charm from its surf-pop jangle. The band doesn’t startle or astonish, but who needs a shock on a warm day? It’s so much nicer to lean back, drink in hand, and just let the melodies blissfully bumble.