I’ll be writing this post in English since the band’s lyrics are in English. They also have a great chance of making it outside of their native Sweden (mainly because I think they’re good enough) and as many people as possible should check them out.
The band I’m speaking of is Hater, hailing from Malmö, Sweden. They debuted last year with an EP, Radius, released on PNKSLM. Their first full length, titled You Tried, was released one month ago (also on PNKSLM), and that album is the main focus of this post.
The music that Hater play is a moody sort of (indie-)pop. It’s not cute enough to be twee, it’s not dark enough to be post punk, not fuzzy enough to be shoegaze nor shimmering enough to be dream pop. Yet they incorporate all of these genres into their own expression. They have the aforementioned moodiness, and some of the darkness, of certain types of post punk (Common Way, Always to Get By). They have the wistfulness and melancholy found in dream pop (Carpet, You Tried) and the sometimes distorted, sometimes jangly guitars of C86/twee (Stay Gold, Mental Haven). And on Heavy Hearts they play an almost Fleetwood Mac-ian kind of sophisticated pop (pinch of salt, please) – in an ‘indie’ sort of way, of course.
Their singer, Caroline Landahl, alternates (convincingly) between hoarse cries and an almost velvet-y whisper. She sings of lost love, getting by in life, dealing with yourself and others – and I believe every word she says. The melodies surrounding her voice and lyrics are strong, yet subtle. You might not be walking down the street whistling any of the songs off of You Tried, but when you listen to the songs, the melodies, you feel them, way down in your gut.
I was supposed to see them live this past December, supporting Radio Dept., but my plans fell through (as so often they do…), and I wound up selling my ticket instead. Better luck next time, I hope. And hopefully soon!
Their album is available for purchase at PNKSLM’s store and all the usual places.
Photo from: http://pnkslm.tictail.com/product/hater-you-tried-lp-black-vinyl
482 MHz 