Hello Mary – Emita Ox – Album Review
by Killian Laher

The return of New York trio Helena Straight, Stella Wave, and Mikaela Oppenheimer with a peculiarly-titled follow-up to last year’s self-titled album.  It starts out with Float, which builds slowly before exploding into life after two minutes, into a mini-thrash for the last thirty seconds.

They dial up the intensity on 0%, with drummer Stella Wave repeatedly screaming her lungs out, roaring “I DON’T KNOW!!!” over nineties-style guitar haze.  Three is moody, mid-paced and glorious, rocking out towards the end. There is great guitarwork here, alternating between deft picking and heavy riffing.

This album has plenty of appealing songs: the pleasantly lumbering Down My Life, the sweet, chilled-out Heavy Sleeper and the heavy yet laidback Courtesy.  Knowing You starts out with strumming but explodes into life with meaty, heavy riffs.  Footstep Misstep channels the nineties blissed-out guitar crunch perfectly.  Despite the title, it might be the finest thing here.  The guitars cut loose on Bubble, riffing like mad all over the track.

As regards all-female bands with noisy guitars, Hello Mary are one of the more interesting.  This album is knottier and less straightforward than their last album, adding obtuse twists and turns to the nineties-channelling vibes.  It may stand the test of time better than its predecessor.

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