First Listen:

Hikes

“Habit”

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words by tom johnson

photograph by jinni j

Heading over to these shores for an appearance at this year’s Arctangent festival, and buoyed by a brand new album, released next month, and recorded by Takaaki Mino of the brilliant Toe while the band were over in Japan, Hikes today unveil brand new track “Habit” – a brilliant four-minutes that further illustrates their hypnotic craft; a blurring of the genres that consistently compels.

Underpinned by a buoyant groove that glows throughout, the new track is a melodic gem that simmers and then leaps, not restless, as such, but wonderfully energetic, those little shimmers of mathy instrumental runs the perfect companion for the wildly intriguing vocal performance that cuts in and out of focus with symbiotic skill. Blessed, also, with a swelling, coda-like finale, that rounds the whole thing off with a hardened, gnarly stirring of the waters, “Habit” is a magnificent next-step, setting up a record that suddenly makes a wide-eyed leap in to the consciousness, from the interesting to completely essential.

The full record is released on June 9th, via Community Records (pre-order links below), and you can stream “Habit” below right now.

Pre-order ‘Lilt’ here, via Community Records

Tour Dates:

Japan Tour:

June 16 – Shibuya @ Cyclone* June 20 – Nara @ Neverland* June 21 – Kyoto @ Gattaca* June 23 – Nagoya @ Jammin* June 25 – Osaka @ Hokage* June 29 – Kobe @ Arthouse^^ June 30 – Kyoto @ Growly^^ July 1 – Machida @ Nuttys^^ July 2 – Shinjuku @ Live Freak^^ *= w/ The Fall Of Troy ^^= w/ Staghorn

7/8 – Austin, TX – Swan Dive

7/14 – McCallen, TX – Yerbería Cultura

7/27 – Dallas, TX – The Armoury

7/28 – Fort Worth, TX – MASS

7/29 – OKC, OK – Blue Note

8/3 – San Antonio, TX – Limelight

8/4 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live

8/5 – New Orleans, LA – 4548 Rampart

8/18- Arctangent Festival- Bristol UK

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