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Jun 3, 2020The Prettiest Curse is their finest work to date – full of assurance and poise, and still an absolute riot.
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Jun 5, 2020The Prettiest Curse shows the band at their expected peppy standard, maintaining the youthful punk-cum-surf-rock vigor they’ve built their name on for damn near 10 years. They’ve grown up, whether they meant to or not, but they haven’t lost their edge. They’ve merely sharpened it with their best work to date.
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Jun 8, 2020‘The Prettiest Curse’ is packed with grooves, hooks and riffs, and from the opening bass drum to the closing fade, not a single beat is missed.
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Jun 5, 2020The album shows growth in every aspect of the music, yet the lyrics seem to be the biggest area of change. ... The production from Jenn Decilvio accentuated the band’s evolution by highlighting the multiple vocal parts and adding a truly masterful touch on the effects chosen.
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Jun 5, 2020A fine album that balances its expansive and experimental edge with rich, emotional musicality.
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Jun 5, 2020Overall, the combo of the band's inspired playing, the note-perfect production, the memorably fun songs, and the vitality of their voices helps make The Prettiest Curse their best record yet. It might not be simple and true garage rock anymore, but Hinds show they are able to grow up a little without losing any of the qualities that made them special.
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Jun 5, 2020With all the horror and terror of living in 2020 showing no signs of abating, we must turn to art for relief, to offer ourselves a steady stream of cathartic pleasures. This new Hinds album is just the thing you might be looking for, and it might offer you 30 of the most engaging minutes you’ve had in the past god knows how long.
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Jun 5, 2020On ‘The Prettiest Curse’, they’ve taken their sound and unashamedly experimented with it. They’re all the better for it.
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Jun 5, 2020There may be some subtle shifts here and there, but overall, The Prettiest Curse revels in the simple pleasures of big hooks, chunky chord changes, and sing-a-long melodies.
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Jun 3, 2020The Prettiest Curse is infectious without being syrupy, fresh instead of juvenile. This is messy pop music that captures the vibrancy of youth without being childish.
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Jun 8, 2020With The Prettiest Curse Hinds once again do what it does best—making punchy indie rock with a garage rock edge to it. Even better, the more polished sound and the fresh instrumental touches take a step forward for the band. Hinds’ latest work is another raucous good time that shows off the band’s uncompromising attitude and catchy melodies at their best.
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Jun 9, 2020They may have slightly diluted their sound this time around, but at least they’re struggling on their own terms. The highlights suggest there is an arena-friendly Hinds out there, still waiting to emerge in full.
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Rolling StoneJun 3, 2020Spacey songs that never lack for sass, bite, or beauty. [Apr 2020, p.87]
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Q MagazineJun 3, 2020It can occasionally cloy, but on The Prettiest Curse, Hinds are on fighting form. [Jun 2020, p.100]
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Jun 4, 2020After three albums about the same thing, Hinds haven’t shown any real progression by shedding their lo-fi trappings; instead they’ve just unearthed their shortcomings.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 14
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Mixed: 1 out of 14
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Negative: 1 out of 14
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Oct 4, 2020
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Jun 22, 2020Worthies of staying in my library (2/10):
- Good Bad Times
- Take Me Back -
Jun 13, 2020