Female strength in two languages

People went to Madrid, Spain, before knowing it is a very unique and special place. Even though the cultural influence of Spain is so immense, people don’t think about indie-rock when they think of the area. But, they should start to do so. The Spanish indie rock band Hinds, with Carlotta Cosials (vocals, guitar), Ana Perrote (vocals, guitar), Ade Martin (bass) and Amber Grimbergen (drums) proves to the world that Spanish indie-rock has the power to take over speakers. Over and over again, the band delivers energetic sounds in bilingual and honest lyrics that are more than welcome. Hinds doesn’t only show their talent in music; they recently released their own cruelty-free makeup line.

Fans should also check out the band’s official website. The interactive website shows the key element for every song on their newest release, The Prettiest Curse. The album has conviction with strong feminist lyrics, and the listeners can feel the incredible connection every band member has with each other. Together, the band creates songs that all stand strong individually.

Kicking off The Prettiest Curse is “Good Bad Times,” a dreamy rock song that features some pretty catchy melody and Spanish lines that (if you don’t speak Spanish) are very much worth translating. “Just Like Kids (Miau)” with its unapologetic lyrics and energetic beat will win over the crowd. The song, even though it’s rather fun to listen to, is probably painfully relatable for some, especially when they had to deal with mansplaining and so on. With “Riding Solo,” Hinds channels the feeling of loneliness with great guitars and basslines.

The honesty of this album connects deep within its audience, but Hinds show they can be vulnerable and deeply loving too. Songs like “Boy,” “Come Back and Love Me <3” and “Take Me Back” show more tenderness and an open heart. One of the highlights on the songs and the album is the traditional Spanish guitars on “Come Back and Love Me <3,” which are masterfully paired with the vocals and the lyrics. A dream of Spain.

“Burn” contains strong female lyrics and great guitar solos, and some of the best lines on the album: “I’m juggling tequila shots, sadness & reggaeton nights/ the worse they talk about me, the more it makes you hard/ traveling gave me a clue to show you, fool, my power.” The destructive guitars of “The Play” is in sync with the message of the lyrics and the vocals are the cherry on top.

“Waiting For You” seems to be a good song for anyone who is hung up on some dating app relationship. Hinds message: Maybe they’re just not worth the time and the energy, games are for kids. The last song on the album, “This Moment Forever,” is one of the slowest songs of the entire album, soft and dreamy. The vocals are hypnotizing and are filled with so much feeling. The psychedelic guitar solo gives the whole song a more stoned notion.

Honesty, feminism and bilingual just three words to summarize The Prettiest Curse. It’s enough to show how important Hinds is to the indie rock genre. These characteristics are more important than ever. The album doesn’t need a profound explanation, it is not to misinterpret, and this can be very refreshing.