At first glance, Mamalarky are one of the pack. The quartet aren’t too far off from other chilled-out, slightly-psychedelic indie pop groups like the Marías, Men I Trust, or Crumb. Guitarist-vocalist Livvy Bennett’s breathy voice coasts across their songs with minimal inflection and absolute unbotheredness while keyboardist Michael Hunter fills the midrange with pillowy, woozy synths. Mamalarky is a little jazzy, a little bit loungey, and versatile enough to fit on Spotify’s “summer vibes” or “genreless” playlists of choice. But while those other groups lean into their sedentary, predictable grooves, Mamalarky’s rhythm section locks in and out of straightforward beats. When you least expect it, they dole out a chord change and a tempo shift that quickens your pulse and interrupts your head-high.
Their third album Hex Key is the clearest reconciliation between the tension of their easygoing indie pop and their meticulous musicianship yet. The album’s best moments split the difference, setting the vibe and then tearing it apart with their knotty, burrowed-in playing. Take single “#1 Best Of All Time”: Drummer Dylan Hill recorded the track during what he calls “an intense bout of poison ivy,” and you can tell. The rhythm section goes off to the races with a jittery beat. Bennett’s typically-sweet vocals saunter off-key into something sour. Still, the song has a light touch. It’s pressurized but never explosive. The title track holds onto an unnerving synth in its verses, buzzing in the low end while bassist Noor Khan threads around it. When the song dissolves into its splashy chorus, it’s as refreshing as a dip in the pool. Mamalarky play into the conventions of indie pop until they don’t, from the spindly riff-rock of “MF” to the panoramic keys on “The Quiet.” There’s a true sense of build and release to Hex Key, instead of aimless floating. They never sacrifice dynamics or range in favor of static, less attention-grabbing music.
When Mamalarky does go “chill,” they keep things idiosyncratic. “Take Me” could be a cut off Clairo’s Charm, but the bass tilts and warbles beneath its feet. The whole thing is dizzy. The keyboards squelch in its outro, adding to its loopiness. “Blush” is classic bedroom-pop, but Hill’s sharp drumming on the chorus prevents the song from mellowing out too much. Even on Hex Key’s most straight-up songs, like singles “Anhedonia” and “Feels So Wrong,” Mamalarky are curious and surprising.
Hex Key is Mamalarky’s first album with Epitaph. The band’s dreamy sophisti-pop might seem like an odd pairing for a Los Angeles label best known for its punk, pop-punk, and hardcore roster (last year, Epitaph released high-octane, hard-hitting records like Mannequin Pussy’s I Got Heaven or the Linda Linda’s No Obligation), but Mamalarky and their labelmates share a DIY mastery. No Hex was recorded in the band’s LA home studio, described as “a tight but prolific living room.” They sure make a lot out of it. You can hear how worked out the instrumentals on Hex Key are: every possible arrangement tried, every iteration bundled into the guitar solo or vocal harmony that makes it onto the final cut.
Still, for all its variations and dynamics, Hex Key keeps its cards close to its chest. Mamalarky remain unknowable. Even the album’s most unscrupulous songs (“MF,” “Blow Up”) are polished affairs, guitar and drums building tension just so. Last year, Lucky Daye tapped Hunter and Bennet as writers and producers for “Soft,” a single off his album Algorithm. On it, his vocals add an essential layer of unfussiness; he makes the whole song fiery and more spontaneous. There are bits of that on Hex Key, but never quite enough. Bennett declares she’ll “never let my feelings show” on opener “Broken Bones,” but there’s a moment in its final chorus when the aggravation starts to come through. For just a flicker, she does let her feelings show, the frustration and annoyance palpable in her voice. That’s what holds Hex Key back from unlocking something greater: the band follows the advice on that lyric just a bit too closely.
Andy Steiner is a writer and musician. When he’s not reviewing albums, you can find him collecting ‘80s Rush merchandise. Follow him on Twitter.
