It's the dreaded M word, the start of a long, hard week. What it also means (on top of being a shameless use of alliteration) is Music Monday! I'll be bringing the best tracks, album reviews and playlists to cheer you up and get you through the week. C'mon team, we can do it! Browsing iTunes at the start of the month, I came across Asymmetry by Mallory Knox, and made a swift impulse purchase. In recent times, I have made a distinct departure from the more angsty side of the music road, and have come to enjoy a myriad of genres. From Hip-hop to House, you can find it all on my iPod, however cranking up the overdrive brings back such vivid memories of being in love, and it's a genre I always come crawling back to.
If you are new to Mallory Knox, they are a five piece alternative band hailing from Cambridgeshire. Having formed in 2009, they brought out their second release Asymmetry last October, and have gone on to support heavyweights such as Biffy Clyro. They have also just announced their biggest headline tour, putting them firmly on the UK's musical map.
Even if you think you haven't heard anything by Mallory Knox, I can guarantee a few songs will be familiar, the first being the opener Ghost in the Mirror. It has had a fair bit of airplay, and rightly so, it is catchy as hell. I've linked up the YouTube video (as with all these tracks) so you can have a listen for yourself. I defy you not to be humming it after a single listen.
Shout at the Moon is a cleaner affair, and one with a less angsty theme. Everything about the track is fun, from the bright guitar loop and whimsical lyrics in the chorus. It conjurers up images of being a teenager sleeping under the stars, staring up at the moon and wondering whether bae (sorry) loves you back.
Another standout track is Dying To Survive, which takes a more emo turn. It is slightly heavier, but the use of a punchy beat manages to lift the track out of the grave. Pun 100% intended. Cue a move into the latter quadrant of the song and it does a complete 360. Think anthemic vocals that make you want to do one heck of an air punch, and manic sirens interlacing the soaring guitars.
Dying To Survive is the perfect showcase of what Mallory Knox do best. It's their clever use of light and shade. They juxtapose fun and jangly indie riffs with stadium-sized moments that take you right into the middle of a muddy field, singing your heart out, drenched in cider and sweat. They do that You Me At Six/All Time Low-style of pop-punk, with a certain grace and throw this with more of a post-hardcore style. It is this combo that makes Mallory Knox feel so comforting and familiar, yet modern and fresh.
I find Asymmetry a particularly fitting name for this album. I feel like not one label fits Mallory Knox. They think outside the box, and what we are left with is a strong collection of songs that might just be one of the most memorable alternative releases of recent times.
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