Habibi - "Nice"

Habibi have been one of my favorite bands since I saw them open for Real Estate at White Eagle Hall here in Jersey City. After their very stellar performance, I headed directly to the merch table and scooped up their new (at the time) EP, Cardamom Garden. After wearing it out on my turntable, I proceeded to dive further into their back catalog, falling for their languid harmonies, Farsi language love songs, and surf-tinged guitar playing. They subsequently wowed me with their second full-length, Anywhere But Here, which helped ease my nerves during the pandemic thanks to gorgeous staples like “Angel Eyes” and “Come My Habibi.”  Last week, the band announced their signing with Kill Rock Stars and shared a cover of the Kleenex classic, “Nice,” for the label’s 30th-anniversary series, Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars)

The band’s version of “Nice” pays homage to the Swiss-punk original while giving the song its own distinct Habibi flavor. While Kleenex originally sang “Nice” in German, Habibi reinterpreted the lyrics in Farsi and made some slight sonic alternations that help to smooth out some of the track’s punkier edges. The song features some really nice call and response vocal interplay, with backing “ohs” that kick in after frontperson Rahill Jamiliford sings each line. The guitars are cleaner sounding and more psych-influenced, and unlike the original, Habibi injects a slightly fuzzed, mesmerizing riff that splits the song in half. I’m not a German or English speaker, so I can’t say too much about the lyrics other than that they sound quite nice. See what I did there?!?!

Stream the track below!

“Nice” is available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram. You can also purchase their music on Bandcamp. The band also announced a string of tour dates, including one at Baby’s All Right on November 5th. Peep the dates below!