Hikes dropped their latest album Winnower back in March, and it’s taken me way too long to get around to writing about it. Why? Well, first, I want to make it clear that it’s not because it’s by any means forgettable; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In truth, it’s because it’s a fairly unique record to write about, and I just couldn’t stop listening.
If I had to describe this album in brief, it would be chamber folk meets math pop. At times, at its core, instrumentally, it very much sounds like an indie folk record; it’s twangy, it’s folksy, and it has that kind of rustic charm you’d expect. At the same time, though, there’s a complexity to the guitar work that pushes it into a more Midwest-emo, emo-pop vibe, and it’s this that has me coming back to this album time after time.
Instrumentally, the album is a real audible vibe as the band creates some pretty interesting soundscapes with their blend of folk and emo. Hell, there’s even a track (Feel) that features a drum break. Folk meets breakcore isn’t something I had on my list for 2026, but here we are. Vocally, there’s also a level of whimsy throughout that I adore; the way both vocalists bounce off each other and combine melodies is absolutely charming.
While the opening track is more folk than emo, the band really stretch their mathy muscles with the next track, Gravity. Kicking off immediately with a complex guitar riff, the song bursts into an almost anthemic chorus of distorted guitars and heavy reverb vocals that wraps you up in a warm musical bubble that’ll have you floating throughout the slow build-up in the middle of the song, only for it to burst with the big finale.
I’ve already mentioned the track Feel, but it definitely deserves a second mention. Imagine if you took the drum break from a minimal IDM track, mixed it in with the guitar prowess of Polyphia‘s Tim Henson, and just a dash of indie pop from Half Moon Run, then you’d have the ingredients of this track. On paper, it sounds odd, right? But somehow it works.
Winnower is an album that goes from strength to strength the more you get into it. There’s an almost perfect mix of upbeat math-pop, contemplative chamber-folk, and distorted emo riffs, while also giving each song room to breathe both lyrically and instrumentally. There’s a rawness to the album that feels more personal.
Overall, Hikes have come back with a bang with Winnower, a title that aptly describes the almost separated and stripped nature of this album. Every aspect of this record feels intentional, placed in a way that only elevates the song without adding too much. Genuinely, this album is definitely an unexpected hit and currently sits among my top albums for the year.
Score: 9/10
Hikes released Winnower on March 27 via Many Hats Distribution.