Bad Bad Hats – “Talk With Your Hands”

Zoe Prinds-Flash

Bad Bad Hats – “Talk With Your Hands”

Zoe Prinds-Flash

Bad Bad Hats strike the sweet spot between bouncy and poignant on their new single “Talk With Your Hands.” Last month, the Minneapolis trio shared a new song, “Write It On Your Heart,” our first look at their upcoming sophomore LP, Lightning Round. Based on these two tracks, the new album is shaping up to be pretty tremendous.

“Talk With Your Hands” opens with a distortion that sounds like an old VHS tape rewinding. The instrumentals in the beginning are padded, almost like you’re listening to the song underwater, maybe even drowning. Kerry Alexander pleads, “I need you so I’ll keep my promise/ I’ll be what you wanted, whatever you want me to be.” It’s a familiar sensation, reminiscent of the initial blow of heartbreak. But before long, there’s a sonic epiphany, and maybe an emotional one too.

The upbeat chorus hits and Alexander’s distinctly soft vocals grow determined and declarative, with help from crashing drums and fizzy synths. It’s a track that would do well playing over an emotional breakup montage in a romantic movie, one that triumphantly ends with the protagonist picking herself up and turning over a new leaf. But then again, just listening to “Talk With Your Hands” on its own is kind of a cinematic experience in itself. Hear it below.

Lightning Round is out 8/3 on Afternoon Records. Pre-order it here.

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