If I told you there was a band from Sweden called Hater, I honestly wouldn’t be upset if you thought they were some kind of black metal act with a logo that looks like a bundle of random branches. You know, like from the sick meme I found once. But also, I’d be a bit annoyed, because you should know by now that I don’t listen to black metal and I thought we were pretty close. Anyway, Hater are a dream-pop, lo-fi, guitar-pop kinda deal. Creating softly spoken, yet brash sounding soundcapes to escape in. This latest track, ‘Blushing’ offers a cleaner, more upbeat, bright feel – at times the instrumentation comes across a little bit like they’re having a jam and just nailing it big time. The vocals from lead vocalist, Caroline Landahl, still pack some serious personality, offering another piece of honest and moving songwriting. We often miss so many European artists here in Aus, but make sure Hater isn’t one that drops off your ‘need to check out’ list.
Hater’s new EP, Red Blinders, is due out December 1 via Fire Records.