Hater – Mosquito (Clear vinyl)

Scandinavian indie pop four-piece Hater end a three-year hiatus following their formidable third album Sincere with the release of Mosquito, an intriguing dream pop drama played out across eleven gripping instalments of self-examination.

On Mosquito, Malmö-based Hater sound rejuvenated – they embrace the raw indie pop approach that they’ve become known for, but with a more direct, polished songwriting style. The band have refined their shoegaze roots into something sharper, more melodic, and deeply resonant. Mosquito overflows with stories where mythical twists (vampires, Cupid, mosquitos) are underpinned by the sad-eyed yearning for true love. But this is not your typical album about love the band are keen to point out.

“Angel Cupid” unfurls in slow motion, a gorgeously controlled diatribe against bland love songs when you’re locked out of that emotion yourself. The curious lead single “This Guy?” is a mystery in itself: the tale of a strangely confused interloper, unidentified and unidentifiable – and the band themselves call it “a quiet confusing song”. Entering an echoey cavern of gothic strangeness, “Stinger”’s insistent drums and Caroline’s lyrics worm into the inner thoughts of a love-struck supernatural.

An emotional rollercoaster by any other name, Mosquito spills over with half-remembered broken hearts and broken promises, filled with torture and tingle, yet punctuated by hopes and dreams for future resolutions.

Mosquito was recorded in the splendid isolation of AGM Studios in Vollsjö, Sweden, with long-time collaborator Joakim Lindberg at the controls and bassist Adam Agace returning to the fold. They completed the project at Lindberg’s famed Studio Sickan, with Caroline Landahl, Måns Leonartsson, Rasmus Andersson, and Adam Agace all contributing equally to a sound that morphs between punchy introspection and melancholy realisation.