Shaina Hayes – Timid: Folk-Rock with a Hypnotic, Upbeat Pulse

From Montreal, indie artist Shaina Hayes returns with the lively sounds of “Timid.”

This breezy burst of upbeat folk-rock energy arrives just in time for summer drives and backyard gatherings. “Timid” is driven by a rhythmic force that sits just outside our usual melancholic brand of indie, but it still carries that unmistakable vintage flavor found throughout Hayes’ work and is, quite simply, hypnotic as hell.

The track’s foundation is hammered out by palm-muted sixteenth notes on the bass guitar, though this momentum is beautifully contrasted by Hayes’ dreamy vocal performance. And perhaps we’re reading too much into the track’s core idea, but the pulse of the rhythm section mirrors the movement of the outside world, while Hayes’ delivery echoes quiet introversion.

Bringing the whole thing together is a refrain that has “earworm” written all over it. This is due to the rapid succession of lyrics, as well as the remarkably silky vocal layers that weave together into a rich, melodic hook. On the final third, your patience shall reward you with a Fiona Apple-esque middle eight that has kept us returning for multiple spins.

“Timid” was written during a period when Hayes was heavily inspired by Julia Jacklin and Billie Marten. The song’s lyrics reflect how limited language can be—how even at our most expressive, we often only reveal a small fragment of what’s actually happening inside us. This track becomes a meditation on the depth of what people feel but can’t always fully express.

Shimmering, upbeat, and deeply mesmerizing, “Timid” is a much-needed anthem for those who spend most of their lives inside their own thoughts. If you haven’t been paying attention, we tend to feature everything that Shaina Hayes’ camp sends over to us, and pressing the play button is all the justification you need.

Catch this song in our Top 100:

-HD Bradley

Shaina Hayes – “Timid”

Finlay Birch – “Inside Your Mind”