Emita Ox

Sophomore album from Hello Mary. Produced by Alex Farrar (Wednesday). On it, the New York City trio of Helena Straight, Stella Wave, and Mikaela Oppenheimer unleash their emotions through their alt-rock anthems like flaming weapons and wield them like proud trophies of their collective tenacity. Since forming in 2019, Hello Mary have ripped into prominence with their fuzzed-out anthems, establishing a darkly playful edge all their own. Possessing a sound that pushes harder into heavy distortion and psychedelic dreamscapes, Emita Ox sees Hello Mary building out their singular universe of gutsy, virtuosic alt-rock. The band co-produced the album alongside Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, Wednesday, Snail Mail) in Asheville, NC. On Emita Ox, Hello Mary push harder into heavy distortion and psychedelic dreamscapes, as they build out their singular universe of gutsy strain of rock. The LP’s labyrinthine production reflects how the band’s musical tastes have expanded from Elliott Smith and Radiohead to encompass experimental post-rock acts like Black Midi and Swans. The members’ contributions to the songwriting and production bleed into each other, but the album is a showcase of their individual strengths: Straight’s ethereal vocal melodies and gritty guitar riffs, Wave’s emotive vocals and knotty drum patterns, and Oppenheimer’s diabolical basslines and experimentation with electronic production