The Prettiest Curse

Last updated
The Prettiest Curse
Hinds the prettiest curse.jpg
Studio album by
Hinds
Released5 June 2020 (2020-06-05)
Recorded
  • New York
  • London [1]
Genre Garage rock
Length32:45
Label
Producer Jennifer Decilveo
Hinds chronology
I Don't Run
(2018)		The Prettiest Curse
(2020)		 Viva Hinds
(2024)
Singles from The Prettiest Curse
  1. "Riding Solo"
    Released: December 3, 2019
  2. "Good Bad Times"
    Released: February 4, 2020
  3. "Come Back and Love Me <3"
    Released: March 6, 2020
  4. "Just Like Kids (Miau)"
    Released: April 28, 2020
  5. "Burn"
    Released: July 14, 2020

The Prettiest Curse is the third studio album by Spanish garage rock band Hinds. It was released on June 5, 2020 under Mom + Pop Music and follows 2018's I Don't Run . The album was recorded in New York City and produced by Jennifer Decilveo, who produced albums for Bat for Lashes, The Wombats, and Anne-Marie. The Prettiest Curse was preceded by the singles "Riding Solo", "Good Bad Times", "Come Back and Love Me <3", and "Just Like Kids (Miau)", along with music videos for "Good Bad Times", "Just Like Kids (Miau)" and "Burn". [2] [3]

Contents

The album is the final release by the group with members Ade Martin and Amber Grimbergen who left the band in December 2022.

Recording and production

After spending time songwriting in Los Angeles and London, the band recorded The Prettiest Curse in London and New York. "Riding Solo" and "Just Like Kids (Miau)" were recorded in London, while the rest was recorded in Brooklyn, New York. [1] Unlike their previous albums, The Prettiest Curse was not recorded during a concert tour. Singer and guitarist Carlotta Cosials told Rolling Stone about the leisurely recording pace, saying, "For the first time, we had time to sit down and not rush … and think not only ‘What do we want to tell to the world,’ but how we want to tell it.” [4]

Speaking about the recording of the album, singer and guitarist Ana Perrote told BBC News , "Everything felt really different and exciting. We worked with different people and there's different instruments, like keyboards or just more Spanish [lyrically and sonically]." [5]

During the recording of the album, the band had a practice of listening to a different band's album before each recording session, and another album afterward.

In describing producer Jenn Decilveo's influence on the album, the band said, "She made us yell louder than ever, would pretty much force us to do guitar solos every second she could and I think just helped us find our new sound identity." [6]

Music and lyrics

Musically, The Prettiest Curse contains a richer set of instruments than previous albums, including keyboards. The band also opted for more songs with pop melodies than on their previous albums.

Lyrically, this is Hinds' first album that contains their native language of Spanish. While the band said that they had opted for English lyrics after imitating bands they admire, they say that singing in Spanish has helped them continue to establish their identity. [7]

In writing the album, the band stated that they were influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Molotov, and Los Punsetes. [6]

Speaking about the album's third single, "Come Back and Love Me <3", singer and guitarist Carlotta Cosials said that it is "the most romantic song we’ve ever done." She also said that the band "went full-spaniards here", including "bossa-nova vibes [drummer and bassist] Amber and Ade created". [8]

The album's fourth single, "Just Like Kids (Miau)" addresses the all-female band's experiences of sexism in the music industry. [3]

Tutorial video

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hinds published a tutorial video on Instagram for how to play "Come Back and Love Me <3". The video features each band member separately teaching how to play their own part in the song, as they are practicing social distancing during the pandemic. [9] While the band was initially wary of giving an overly basic tutorial, they wanted it to be accessible to women and girls learning instruments for the first time. After the tutorial was released, fans posted videos showing what they learned. [7]

Release

The Prettiest Curse was originally scheduled to be released on April 3, 2020, but was delayed until June 5, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hinds decided that marketing the album during the pandemic would be uncomfortable. [7] The band's corresponding tour for the album was cancelled. [10] Along with the delay in releasing the album, they put on the following statement:

We all need music now more than ever, and we were so excited to release our album next month and share it with you! but right now, things are a bit scary in spain and the coronavirus is something that is affecting a lot of our loved ones, so for right now we think all of our focus should be on staying safe and staying home, not promoting a new album. [11]

While recording The Prettiest Curse, the band also recorded a cover of "Spanish Bombs" by The Clash. They released the single as a flexi disc on July 31, 2020. In explaining how they chose to cover that song, the band wrote, "As Spaniards, we don’t usually get shout-outs in songs, like New York or London, so the Clash writing a song about our civil war made us feel honored." [12] [13]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.6/10 [14]
Metacritic 78/100 [15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
And It Don't Stop A− [17]
Clash 8/10 [18]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Paste 8.5/10 [21]
Pitchfork 7.2/10 [22]
PopMatters 8/10 [23]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [25]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the release received an average score of 78, based on 15 reviews, which evaluates at "generally favorable reviews". [15]

In an advance review of The Prettiest Curse for NME , Hannah Mylrea said, "Blending growling riffs worthy of The Strokes with soaring melodies and a generous dash of the band's no-fucks-given attitude, it's a break-neck 30 minutes of glorious chaos." [7]

Writing for the Hampstead & Highgate Express , Stephen Moore called the album Hinds's "best record yet", writing that it is "highly listenable chart fodder, the lyrics centering on highly dysfunctional kidult relationships, and opens a record which explores the fertile crossovers between garage rock, disco, sampling, synth-pop and more." [26]

In his Substack-published "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau hailed the album as "the charming maturation of these club kids who've mastered pop songcraft". He found that Hinds "emote ever more catchily about their ever twistier love lives" and "ponder possibilities that have gotten so much chancier" in the wake of a pandemic that gives the release a sharp poignancy. [17]

Track listing

All tracks were written by Hinds (Carlotta Cosials, Amber Grimbergen, Ade Martín, and Ana Perrote).

No.TitleLength
1."Good Bad Times"3:19
2."Just Like Kids (Miau)"2:09
3."Riding Solo"3:37
4."Boy"3:17
5."Come Back And Love Me <3"3:51
6."Burn"2:54
7."Take Me Back"3:11
8."The Play"3:06
9."Waiting For You"3:30
10."This Moment Forever"3:53
Total length:32:45

Personnel

Hinds

Charts

Chart performance for The Prettiest Curse
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] 14

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft Cell</span> English synthpop duo

Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbow (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Elbow are an English rock band formed in Bury, Greater Manchester in 1997. The band consists of Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter and Pete Turner. They have played together since 1990, adopting the name Elbow in 1997. Drummer Alex Reeves replaced Richard Jupp in 2016 as a touring and session musician at first, before becoming a full member in 2024.

<i>Pleased to Meet You</i> (James album) 2001 studio album by James

Pleased to Meet You is the ninth studio album by English rock band James. Less than a year after the release of Millionaires (1999), the band were playing new material live. Recording was split between Ridge Farm, Whitfield St., House in the Woods studios; producer credit was split between Brian Eno, guitarist/violinist Saul Davies, KK and the band. "Getting Away with It " was released as a single in late June, followed a week later by Pleased to Meet You on 2 July through Mercury Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OneRepublic</span> American pop rock band

OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. The lineup currently consists of Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle, Eddie Fisher (drums), and Brian Willett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hercules and Love Affair</span> American dance music group

Hercules and Love Affair is a dance music project created by American DJ, singer, composer, musician and producer Andy Butler in 2004. Consisting of a rotating cast of performers and musicians, the band work within the genres of house music, disco, techno and nu-disco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 1975</span> English pop rock band

The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy, Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel. The name of the band was inspired by a page of scribblings found in Healy's copy of On the Road by Jack Kerouac that was dated "1 June, The 1975".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Years & Years</span> English music project

Years & Years were an English pop band formed in London in 2010. The band rose to fame after their single "King" (2015) topped the UK Singles Chart and entered the top ten hit in thirteen other regions. It was preceded by the release of their debut studio album Communion (2015), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and became the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band. It also features the commercially successful single "Shine", which reached number two in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Access T.V. (band)</span> American band

Public Access T.V. were an American band formed in New York City in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fryars</span> English musician

Benjamin Garrett, better known by his stage name Fryars, is an English art pop musician from London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinds (band)</span> Spanish indie rock band

Hinds is a Spanish indie rock band from Madrid, formed in 2011. The group currently consists of Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote. The original name of the band was Deers, but they changed it at the end of 2014 after a threat of legal action from the similarly named band The Dears. The group chose "Hinds", a word that means "female deers", as the new name of the band and officially implemented the name change on 7 January 2015.

<i>Leave Me Alone</i> (Hinds album) 2016 studio album by Hinds

Leave Me Alone is the debut full-length studio album by Spanish garage rock band Hinds. It was released on 8 January 2016 under Lucky Number and Mom + Pop Music. The album follows several singles and a 10"-compilation the band released between 2014 and 2016 as a duo and since adding drummer Amber Grimbergen and bassist Ade Martín as a quartet. "Chili Town", "Garden" "San Diego", "Easy" and "Warts" were released as singles and music videos.

<i>Revelación</i> 2021 EP by Selena Gomez

Revelación is the fourth extended play by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on March 12, 2021, by Interscope Records. Gomez collaborated with various producers, such as Albert Hype, DJ Snake, Jota Rosa, Maro, Neon16, and Tainy, to achieve her desired sound. She stated that the EP centers on themes of "strength, love, forgiveness and moving on".

<i>A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships</i> 2018 studio album by the 1975

A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is the third studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 30 November 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. Initially titled Music for Cars, the album was intended as the follow-up to I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The term later denoted an era encompassing both their third album and Notes on a Conditional Form, released in 2020. The band halted recording of the first part after lead singer Matty Healy left for a drug rehabilitation clinic in Barbados, seeking treatment for his heroin addiction. Following the singer's return, the band spent several months completing the album in Northamptonshire and Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf Curse</span> American surf rock band

Surf Curse is an American indie surf rock band formed in 2012 in Reno, Nevada, and now based out of Los Angeles. The band was originally formed by Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck (guitars), and now also includes Henry Dillon and Noah Kholl. The band achieved mainstream success after their song "Freaks", written in 2011 and first released in 2013, became popular on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2020.

<i>I Dont Run</i> 2018 studio album by Hinds


I Don't Run is the second studio album by Spanish garage rock band Hinds. It was released on April 6, 2018 under Mom + Pop Music and is their first studio album since 2016's Leave Me Alone. The band worked on the album with Gordon Raphael, who produced albums for American band The Strokes and singer Regina Spektor. The album was preceded by the singles and music videos for "New For You", "The Club" and "Finally Floating". On October 1, 2018, Hinds released an alternative acoustic version of "Rookie" through Amazon Music, inspired by a relaxed version of "Revolution" by The Beatles.

<i>Reflections</i> (Hannah Diamond album) 2019 studio album by Hannah Diamond

Reflections is the debut studio album by British singer and visual artist Hannah Diamond. It was released on 22 November 2019 via PC Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All That's Left Is Love</span> 2020 single by Angels & Airwaves

"All That's Left Is Love" is a song by the American rock band, Angels & Airwaves. The song was released on April 16, 2020 as a non-album single, though it was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Lifeforms (2021). The song was written by Tom DeLonge, Ilan Rubin, and Aaron Rubin.

<i>Who Am I?</i> (Pale Waves album) Album by Pale Waves

Who Am I? is the second studio album by English indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released on 12 February 2021 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. The record was produced by Rich Costey and recorded in Los Angeles. While the band's previous album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018), took inspiration from 1980s synth pop, Who Am I? was inspired by female pop and rock musicians from the 1990s and early 2000s, including acts like Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, Alanis Morissette, and Courtney Love.

Mitchell Kristopher Rowland is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as a touring guitarist and for co-writing songs on all three of Harry Styles's solo albums. "Watermelon Sugar", a song he co-wrote with Styles, Tyler Johnson, and Thomas Hull, was nominated for and won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021. Rowland, along with Styles, Johnson, and Hull, also won the Brit Award for Song of the Year for "Watermelon Sugar" at the 2021 Brit Awards.

<i>Viva Hinds</i> 2024 studio album by Hinds

Viva Hinds is the fourth studio album by Spanish garage rock band Hinds. The album is due for release on 6 September 2024 under Lucky Number and is the band's first new album in four years since the 2020 release of The Prettiest Curse. The album marks the first release by the band since the departure of bassist Ade Martin and drummer Amber Grimbergen who quit the band in 2022. Viva Hinds was preceded by the singles and music videos for "Coffee" and "Boom Boom Back".

References

  1. 1 2 White, Stephen (2020-05-04). "Q&A | Hinds talks to TLMT about 'The Prettiest Thing', Touring and Influences". The Last Mixed Tape. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  2. ↑ Corcoran, Nina (2020-02-04). "Hinds announce new album The Prettiest Curse, plus tour dates". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, Christopher (2020-04-28). "Hinds Share Video for New Song "Just Like Kids (Miau)"". Under The Radar. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  4. ↑ Shaffer, Claire (2020-03-30). "'In My Room' With Hinds". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  5. ↑ Glynn, Paul (2020-02-21). "The band who answered The Strokes' last-minute call". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  6. 1 2 Hiaoui, Audry (2020-04-21). "Escape to a new world with Spanish indie-rock rock group Hinds". Wonderland. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Mylrea, Hannah (2020-04-23). "Hinds: "A big reason for girls not starting bands is that they're made to feel stupid"". NME. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  8. ↑ Richards, Will (2020-03-07). "Hinds share 'Come Back and Love Me <3', their "most romantic song ever"". NME. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  9. ↑ "Hinds have made a tutorial for how to play their new single "Come Back And Love Me'". Dork. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  10. ↑ "Hinds Cancel Autumn Shows In UK, Europe And North America Due To Coronavirus". Stereoboard. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  11. ↑ Kaye, Ben (2020-03-24). "Hinds delay release of new album, The Prettiest Curse, reschedule tour due to COVID-19". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  12. ↑ "Hinds: The Prettiest Curse Vinyl LP + Download". hinds.merchtable.com. Retrieved 2020-05-12.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ Exposito, Suzy (2020-07-31). "Hear Hinds Take on the Clash's Punk Classic, 'Spanish Bombs'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  14. ↑ "The Prettiest Curse by Hinds reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  15. 1 2 "The Prettiest Curse by Hinds Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Sendra, Tim. "The Prettiest Curse – Hinds". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  17. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (8 July 2020). "Consumer Guide: July, 2020" . And It Don't Stop . Substack . Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  18. ↑ Padin, Malvika (5 June 2020). "Hinds – The Prettiest Curse". Clash . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Strickson, Will (4 June 2020). "Hinds – The Prettiest Curse". DIY . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  20. ↑ Mylrea, Hannah (5 June 2020). "Hinds – 'The Prettiest Curse' review: indie quartet embrace pop with confidence". NME . Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  21. ↑ Crump, Andy (5 June 2020). "Hinds Usher in Summer With The Prettiest Curse, Their Best Album Yet". Paste . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  22. ↑ Bromwich, Jonah (9 June 2020). "Hinds: The Prettiest Curse". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  23. ↑ Horowitz, Steve (3 June 2020). "Hinds' 'The Prettiest Curse' Is One of Victory". PopMatters . Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  24. ↑ Segal, Victoria (June 2020). "Hinds: The Prettiest Curse". Q . No. 411. p. 100.
  25. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan; Dolan, Jon; Grow, Kory; Martoccio, Angie; Schaffer, Claire; Sheffield, Rob; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (April 2020). "Quick Hits". Rolling Stone . No. 1338. p. 87.
  26. ↑ Moore, Stephen. "Album review: Hinds – The Prettiest Curse". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.