Live: Hinds

Hinds | Gorilla | 20th February

10/10

“Hooolllla!” Spanish quartet Hinds have arrived. The all-female outfit take to the stage with a level of genuine enthusiasm and gleeful energy that is sustained throughout the course of their blistering hour-long set. They have the audience burrowed deeply into the palms of their hands. Guitarist-vocalist Carlotta Cosials blows a modest kiss from behind her mic; later, there’s even a crowd-pleasing bit of mini-choreography between Cosials and bassist Ade Martin.

They are by no means revolutionary. Seasoned alt-rock fans will know their reference points very well: the surf-rock twang of Pixies; a touch of Best Coast and the Pastels; Beat Happening’s guileless lo-fi pop; the rollicking jangle of early Orange Juice; a generous helping of the Raincoats; and, of course, the Velvet Underground. But rarely has such a familiar synthesis been played with such exuberance, charm and gusto, the sound of Postcard Records by way of sunny Madrid.

Moreover, Hinds are more accomplished than many might think. Behind their rickety, trebly garage-rock lies an incredibly taut guitar band. Drummer Amber Grimbergen handles the restlessly shifting tempos – variously skipping, dragging or hurtling towards a crescendo – with relish. Guitarists-vocalists Cosials and Ana Perrote alternate effortlessly between the ebb and flow of spiky jabs of distorted jangle and sparkling, melodious thrumming. Hinds are also satisfyingly less winsome than their peers – close attention to the words on ‘Fat Calmed Kiddos’ reveals the delightfully salty lines: “Texting me while you were drunk, whatever makes you happy…” The four-piece end on a high to the sound of unanimous applause; this writer suddenly realised that he’d been smiling all the way through from start to finish. Hinds are that special sort of band: the kind that makes you want to race home, blow the dust of your old guitar and start one of your own.