Oxen symbolise power, strength, and boldness, which are also qualities that define Hello Mary’s second album, Emita Ox. After the alt-rock trio’s self-titled debut was released to critical acclaim, they wasted no time and turned things up a notch. The result? An experimental, daring album and a strident step forward for the band.
There are some true moments of brilliance on Emita Ox. The three-track run consisting of ‘Three’, ‘Down My Life’, and ‘Knowing You’ encapsulates everything that makes Hello Mary shine. ‘Three’ kicks off as a fuzzy shoegaze number which combines Midwestern-emo guitars with an increasingly chaotic blend of thrashy guitars and crazed piano. The transition into ‘Down My Life’ sees the band switch in a completely different direction, with choir-like vocals and scuzzy guitars making for a track that is as ominous as it is intriguing. This shift is executed seamlessly. The final flourish in this brilliant three-song run is ‘Knowing You’, a track that beautifully blends grungey electric guitars with acoustic guitars to create an Americana-themed track that, in theory, should feel completely out of place. However, lead vocalist Helena Straight’s siren-like cries and distorted guitar tie everything together and justify the song’s spot on the album.
The album’s instrumentals are consistently strong. The quickening guitar that opens ‘Float’ makes for an alluring start to the record, while the plucky, Elliott Smith-esque guitars on ‘Everything We Do’ end the album on a glistening high note. Similarly, although a tad incongruent in its transition between the roaring intro and shimmering verses, ‘0%’ boasts impressively tight instrumental arrangements. The gritty guitars echo 90s grunge and Nirvana and give the album a sense of cohesion despite its many shifts.
However, the band occasionally lose themselves in this experimentation. The interludes ‘Heavy Sleeper’ and ‘Hiyeahi’ add little and slow down the pacing. The songs that follow – ‘Footstep Misstep’ and ‘Bubble’, respectively – lack the weight to bring the album back to its earlier momentum. While the album’s latter half doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first half, ‘Everything We Do’ concludes the album on a definite high note, and the folky, jangly riffs on the track once again prove the band’s commendable versatility.
While not a perfect album, Emita Ox is an impressive step forward for Hello Mary. With the oxen-like boldness and strength the band demonstrate with their experimentation, a genuinely groundbreaking album feels within reach.
Recommended listening: ‘Knowing You’
Words: Sophie Flint Vázquez
TrueStyleMusic 