I was a fan of Sweden's Hater when they were on the superb PNKSLM label, and I remain a fan now that they've made the jump to Fire Records. The band's newest release, the lyrical and lush Red Blinders EP, will be out on Friday and it is, like everything this band have offered up so far, excellent indie-pop.
The swirling "Blushing" unfurls with a rare beauty, while the more angular "Rest" chimes with a slight, jittery grace. Elsewhere, the title cut proceedds with a deliberate sense of pop-craft, all while remaining a catchy tune, while the surging "Penthouse" suggests coiled energy nearing its lift-off point. Each cut here is a blast of perfect indie-pop and, as always, Hater make this sort of thing sound so easy. I suppose a quick comparison point would be Bettie Serveert and, yeah, there are moments here that recall that band, but the music of Hater is less insistent, more insinuative and suggestive, and full of the kind of near-shoegaze loveliness that one can find in stuff like those comeback albums from Ride and Slowdive.
Elegantly understated, Red Blinders is yet another excellent release from Hater. It drops on Fire Records this Friday. Follow Hater via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Ludvig Hedlund]