Lauren Hoyle – Hate Me First

A new single from Birmingham based singer/songwriter Lauren Hoyle is a blasting gale of wisdom and good solid indie rock, following on from two classy previous releases. ‘Paramita’ (Buddhist term for ‘perfection’) was an edgy, abrupt single from 2019, alternating between rocky and vulnerable ‘…I’m bearing the inevitable pain…’ while the more recent ‘Crack’ brought synthesiser sounds to the party for an urgent anthem full of angst and pop melody.

New track ‘Hate Me First’ is a driven burst of energy, with a neat synchronicity between the adventurous guitar line and the dynamic vocal. The opening line ‘…when I turn up the TV…I leave it on an even number…’ pulls us into a wayward and obsessive view of the world, culminating in the summary of ‘…you’re gonna hate me…‘. 

The vigorous drums sound like they have been thrown down an echoey stairwell and the surprising staccato rendition of the recurring ‘…why can’t you just believe what I’m saying to you…because I’m not lying about what happened before you left…’ memorably unsettles the listener just enough…

Mike Wright