Indie-pop gem from Hater will win your affection.

 

If you were to describe something or someone as pining, chances are it would be in a negative respect. However, indie-popper Hater is on an unconscious crusade to win the term back from the grips of negativity and latest single Cry Later is the perfect weapon.

The track is characterised primarily by two things: spacious indie guitars that fall just the right side of the shoegaze haze, and a treble-kissing vocal that has a pining quality about it. Caroline Landahl’s oddly gender-dodging voice is impeccable at penetrating even the stoniest of hearts, with a perfect balance of raspiness and ghostliness that makes for a beautiful and distinct sound. While indie guitar sounds can be replicated fairly easily, Landahl’s voice is unique. It is fragile, yet firm enough to carry the song almost entirely.

Cry Later has a sound that is very difficult to describe accurately as it is nuanced enough to defy convention. It is infectious, hypnotic and haunting in all the best ways. Hater is onto something good — and restoring respect to pining in the process.