“Alright, you ready?” yelled Hinds singer and guitarist Carlotta Cosials. “One, two, three, four!”
The opening mid-tempo strum of “Trippy Gum” drifted across the stage, eventually speeding up and giving way to irresistible ooh-oohs while the audience flailed, head-bobbed and crowd-surfed in a reflection of the scruffy exuberance of the song.
Madrid-based band Hinds brought their lo-fi garage rock, rambunctious energy and undeniable charm Wednesday to Allston’s tiny bar venue Great Scott. It was the last show of the American leg of their tour in anticipation of their debut album “Leave Me Alone,” scheduled for release on Jan. 8.
Most of Hinds’ songs are bursting with spunky energy and big, raw vocals. Their cover of psych-rock band Dead Ghosts “When It Comes To You”, however, was a brief break from the rowdiness of their set.
Cosials and the rest of Hinds — guitarist and co-singer Ana García Perrote, bassist Ade Martín, and drummer Amber Grimbergen — serenaded the crowd with a softer take on the song, transforming it into a lovely lullaby that begged the audience members to sway with a special someone.
The song ended, and Cosials asked in her strong Spanish accent for those in charge of the sound to raise her vocals.
She would repeat this request as the problem persisted throughout the show, sometimes causing the instruments to overwhelm her and Perrote’s refreshingly unpolished voices.
“The next song is about a little plant,” Cosials said before the band launched into fan favorite “Bamboo.”
“Bamboo,” off the Hinds’ first release “Demo,” manages to perfectly capture in just less than four minutes the bittersweet ups and downs and fleeting nature of young love.
“I want you to call me by my name while I am lying on your bed,” Cosials growled over nostalgic, jangly guitar and rat-a-tat drums.
“And how could I show you without looking freaking mad that I am not always gonna be around?” Perrote asked, the two trading vocals throughout the song.
“Why, oh why, you are on my mind!” they yelled together, the crowd joining them.
Thunderous applause followed. Calls of “Uno más, por favor,” and declarations of “Te amo,” shot from the crowd. The audiences’ enthusiasm didn’t falter even during Hinds’ unreleased songs, presumably from the upcoming “Leave Me Alone.”
Cosials took time between songs to reflect on the finality of the show and the band’s parting with tour mates and openers Public Access T.V., a post-punk band from New York.
“This year has been so special for us,” she said, her emotions causing her to scramble for words.
She then added, “[Public Access T.V. has] been the best band to tour with ever. When you’re in a band, you meet people, and you don’t know if you’re going to see them again. We really love you guys.”
Cosials took a slug of her Pabst Blue Ribbon and sprayed into the air. With a massive yell from the band members, Hinds plunged into its final song of the night, a rollicking cover of ‘90s garage rock royalty Thee Headcoatees’ “Davey Crockett.”
As per Hinds tradition, the crowd rushed the small stage and filled it to maximum capacity. Audience members danced and threw their arms in the air and shouted along with the “Gabba gabba hey” refrain of the song, a phrase borrowed from seminal punk rock band the Ramones’ 1977 song “Pinhead.”
Like the Ramones, Hinds isn’t necessarily touted for their technical skill. In fact, some YouTube commenters have criticized them for their lack of it.
But again, like the Ramones, what makes Hinds great is the way it embodies the ragged, messy energy of youth and encapsulates it in its songs. Hinds is perfect in its imperfections. As Joey Ramone once said, “Rock ‘n’ roll was always about spirit and fun.”
At the end of the night, the crowd joined Hinds on stage in a small rebellion against the routine of everyday life and in carefree celebration of youth. The Ramones would have been proud.
