Charming someone once is satisfying – but winning someone back is even more rewarding. And Beijing’s beloved indie favourites Hedgehog are trying to do just that with the release of their fourth and latest album Sun Fun Gun. With this latest release, Hedgehog is back with a vengeance, willing to stick it to anyone who dare says they no longer rock.

The pervading assessment of their previous album, last year’s Honeyed and Killed, was that it was trying to be too ‘sophisticated’, while the reality was that having experienced an unforeseen lineup change (which inevitably alters the sound of any band, good or bad) in bassist Box (Zhu Boxuan) when he left the band for reasons never revealed in late 2010, Hedgehog was going through a period of adjustment and self-reflection as a whole. The new bassist Fun (He Yifan) laments: “We were beaten to the ground by reality.”

This is why this next album has been so anticipated. Recorded in the USA and produced by the likes of John Grew and Russell Simins from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Sun Fun Gun promises a return to their roots with loud, energised and catchy guitar-riffs loaded with plenty of sing-along hooks that provide an opportunity for all indie fans to collectively reclaim their angst. Additionally, a huge part of this band’s appeal has always been their extraordinary female drummer Atom. Contrasting her diminutive figure, Atom wins over crowds with the raw power at which she pounds the drums. This kind of novelty had been compromised on their previous album, when the band took a much calmer, mature approach. For this album, we expect a return to the brash, grungy, in-your-face attitude that fans have always adored. And how can they not when the album is called Sun Fun Gun?

James Kim 

Hedgehog play Hidden Agenda on Sun Apr 22. Tickets: White Noise Records, 2591 0499.