Vinyl LP, Other Apparel
Since 2019, Arizona-based musician and poet Hataałii has been creating rich, atmospheric records built around his love for slacker rock guitars, country music, and new wave. While his brooding indie rock—filled with slinky riffs and oblique poetry—has predecessors in artists like King Krule, Alex G, and Mac DeMarco, Hataalii’s unfazed blues draws on his life at Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation. His latest release, Waiting for a Sign, signals a young artist who has come into his own.
On opener “Alex Jones,†Hataalii’s low, rumbling baritone is neatly circled by bright electric guitars and the distant, warm tones of nylon strings. A handful of lyrics, along with straightforward percussion and flourishes of piano, help sketch the image of the infamous far-right conspiracy theorist. Switching to the first-person, Hataałii makes the eerie image disappear as quickly as it came. This gift for ingenious prose—hazy and succinct—also comes through in “Ballad of Athabaskan Theory,†an enigmatic ballad that peaks with ghostly vocal harmonies and words that plead for a sweeter place in the world.
A few breezy, sunny jams steer the album away from the noir-ier territory. Songs like “In My Lawn†and “Go Ahead And Try†are filled with hooky melodies, relaxed guitar solos, and witty verses. With stark, largely acoustic instrumentation, meditative ballads like “Burn†and “Near The Sea†add a soft contrast to the otherwise upbeat mood. “Buckskin Boy†and “Something’s in the Air†pummel along on post-punk drum machines, shimmery guitars, and towering synths. The album almost feels like it’s being transmitted from an imaginary place somewhere between Manchester and Laurel Canyon.
Rather than crowd out his melodies, these nods to far-flung places uplift Hataałii’s music—on Waiting for a Sign, earthy guitar tones and twists of synth-pop all find their rightful place. Carried by the artist’s expressive voice, tasteful writing, and eclectic arrangements, Waiting for a Sign is an exhilarating listen.
