Mallory Knox released their third album 'Wired' today. As a fan who had the privilege of being part of the 100 people who were invited to a special acoustic gig I got to hear the entire album before everyone else and it only made me more excited to get my hands on the physical copy of the album and listen to it on loop.
Reading their own commentary on this album they feel that this record has allowed them to push themselves, give them a slightly different sound and talk about real things in a real word that they didn't feel able to do in the previous album. I loved Assymetry, I thought that it was 400 times better than their debut album 'Signals'. I couldn't find a song that I disliked off of the album and that made buying the new album a must but also made me a little cautious until I started to hear the singles being released and then the acoustic set that they did.
'Better off without you' is one song that has featured in interviews all over since its release as a single because if the mental health aspect of it. I know that I found it really easy to relate to this song and there were a lot of us who actually got to thank the band in person for writing a song like that, one that accurately sums up life with depression and giving it a rock feel that actually makes us want to walk around singing it at the top of our voices. 'Giving it Up' is another song. The opening drum sequence makes you wonder if Mallory have experimented with their sound and gone a little different but once Mikey comes in with 'Clean, I think it's time to come clean' you know that this is the Mallory you've waited years for. This entire album is maybe unintentionally focusing on mental health issues, from the first line of 'Giving it up', which is another song that you can quite happily walk around singing, through 'Saviour' and all the way to the last track on the album which is 'Mother'. Instead of just having the album at sex, drugs and alcohol, which has become typically associated with Rock and Roll music millions of people across the globe have got an album for when they are struggling mentally. This music will prove better than a therapist because you get to hear other people's experiences in this album.
Another thing to note is the development of the band as a whole. Each instrumentalist has developed greater skill on their instrument and Mikey's vocal range has developed, meaning that instead of almost slightly screaming or being restricted his voice has matured and is capable of more than it ever was on 'signals'. It's not just the playing and being able to listen to songs that have clear musical ideas and haven't adopted the power chord approach that so many heavy metal bands of new have gone for but the thinking behind each song. I know that they changed the way in which they recorded so that they recorded by song instead of by instrument and that has allowed them to play around with each song to make it the best that it can be. It's clear that they have something to say on this album and the message is so clear that this album should become a hit for them. Even if you aren't a fan of Rock music give this one a listen to or find the lyrics online for every song and read over them. This album is a true piece of artwork and each member of the band has stretched their mind and their own personal experiences and group experiences to create 11 songs that have a real meaning behind them. Songs like 'Ghost in the Mirror' from the previous album 'Assymetry' touched upon some of these issues but to produce a full album that has clearly challenged them in every way is admirable.Mallory Knox are the exact idea of what a Rock Band should be. They aren't a band who produce one really good song on the entire album, they are a band who have produced a second consecutive almost flawless album. To date I can only think of Mumford and Sons who have managed to produce two albums back to back that are as good as each other. If you can think of any other bands or groups then please feel free to comment below.
If you are not a fan of Rock but want to hear some of their songs done in an acoustic like style then across London next week they are doing a series of 'un wired' gigs which if they are anything like the special one they did last week will be a really nice and relaxed environment of something like 5 songs from the album done in a different style, with a q&a and a signing. I took someone who had never even heard of Mallory Knox to the special fan event and he loved everything that they played. He had no real idea about rock music but he loved what they played. Buy the album, check out the lyrics, spend £10 and go to one of their acoustic gigs- it'll be worth it. Find tickets for their acoustic sets on their facebook page.
