Smooth, groovy, and deliciously catchy, The Hails, a Gainesville, Florida quintet, blend mellow, psychedelic sounds from the 60s and 70s with a cool indie rock sensibility. The first bar, featuring only a catchy guitar riff, was enough to grab my attention; the subtle harmonies and driving beat caught me hook, line, and sinker. I’ve played the song about five times now, and am 100% convinced that two minutes and thirty-nine seconds is nowhere near long enough for a song this good.

The Hails have only been together for three years, but I’m calling it now: they’re gonna be huge one day, and I’m going to be in a crowd somewhere yelling, “Called it! Totally called it.”

“Carolina holds my soul

Carolina’s all I knew

I’d love to stay

But I have to get away.”

It’s a mishmash of moods captured on tape as the group unravels the conflicting feelings of understanding where they’re from but detaching themselves from the expectations and obligations that might’ve kept them there (aka my current mood for, oh, I don’t know, the last year or so). Stream it here: