Album Review: Mallory Knox – Wired

Mallory Knox have knocked it out the park with this electrifying album

Oh boy am I excited for this one. Cambridge based alt rock band Mallory Knox have managed to keep their eclectic sound while still introducing new elements in their brand new album, Wired.

First up on Wired is Giving it Up, a perfect opening for a whopper of an album. Keeping a steady tempo during the verses which then flawlessly drops into an upbeat’ and ridiculously punchy chorus, this is definitely a song to get you pumped. One of the features that really stands out to me on this track is the raw driving power of the drums. High power bass kicks, coupled with crashing cymbals and brilliantly executed fills keeps this pumped up number as lively as can be.

Dropping in at second is California, a much more pop punk track than the rest of the album. Using elements such as slightly elongated transitions between phrases along with treble heavy guitars and less stressed vocals gives this song a really upbeat ‘feel good’ vibe. Adding a full feeling is the subtle but very noticeable backing vocals in parts, this is definitely a song that’ll put a spring in your step no matter how your day went.

Sharing it’s name with the album it came from is the third track, Wired. The first thing about this song that grabs me is the the heavy use of extended chords. This technique is used very well, as it constantly builds up anticipation, then whips it away at the last moment – only to give you the release you crave when the chorus hits. A little further on is a short but sweet lead rocking on in the bridge. An instant crowd pleaser, Mallory Knox really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Up next with some wicked mellow sounds is For You. Undoubtedly a different sound from what MK usually go for, For You is a beautiful song with it’s heartfelt lyrics and a soft sound provided by the smooth bassline. The whole song fills me with emotions I can’t quite place, but definitely leaves me feeling positive by the end.

Better Off Without You is up next, the sixth song on Wired. There’s some really nice vocals mixed up in here, with layering being quite predominant towards the end. Add to that the chopped up guitars and you have a recipe for a song that you won’t be able to get out of your head.

The seventh song on the listing is Falling in Love ( which funnily enough is how I feel about this album). The song that starts with Mikey singing to a backdrop of a lone guitar and slowly builds up to a totally different sound. Around the 2:15 mark the whole song switches up, going from an understated melody to a wall of pure energetic sound. I’d say this is the best song on the album for Mikey to showcase the variety of his voice, ranging from a soft, hushed tones to belting out some rough and ready shouts.

Lucky Me is eighth up, a song that will make anyone who listens to it feel like a badass ( even if you’re just doing the dishes). The dirty, distorted guitars coupled with the rumbling bass drive the feel of this track, it’s easy to imagine Mikey with a sly grin on his face as he performs this particular track.

Savior is the ninth song on this beauty of an album. You can tell from the start that this song is a little different, while still keeping the MK sound. Vocals take a bit of a back seat here, being more drawn out, they add to the instrumental tracks rather than sounding separate. Bass is very prominent in this one, almost carrying the melody during much of the song.

The penultimate track on the album is Come Back Around. Like California, this one has a slight pop punk sound at times, while keeping the verses quite light and airy to give a nice bit of contrast.

Mother is the last track on this beautiful’ album, a much more light hearted song than the rest of the album. The use of group vocals during the chorus’ really makes this song, along with the lively (but not dominating) drums and the almost droning guitars will give anyone a tingle down their spine first time round.

Mallory Knox are no strangers to the billboards as this killer album shows, reaching #10 on the UK charts. With every album pushing them that little bit higher, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a #1 coming soon from the talented Mallory Knox.