Rating: 8/10 – GREAT Album – A fearless, shape-shifting album that cements Mamalarky’s place in the vanguard of indie music.
With their third album Hex Key, released April 11, 2025 via Epitaph Records, Mamalarky fully embrace the chaos and clarity that have always lingered at the edges of their sound. It’s a bold, brainy, and emotionally unguarded record that vaults the band from rising cult favorite to one of indie rock’s most forward-thinking forces.
The Sound of Tension and Release
Opening with the jagged yet hook-laden “Broken Bones,” Hex Key immediately establishes itself as an album of contrasts—songs that groove and jolt, that shimmer and sting. Guitarist and vocalist Livvy Bennett moves between confessional softness and playful defiance, while drummer Dylan Hill, keyboardist Michael Hunter, and bassist Noor Khan lay down twisting, kinetic backdrops filled with syncopation, jazz flourishes, and unexpected left turns.
Tracks like “Anhedonia” dig into mental health with cutting honesty, pairing grungey unease with lo-fi warmth. “Nothing Lasts Forever” floats like a dream, only to fray at the edges with beautifully abrasive textures. Then there’s “Take Me,” a standout that pulls a seductive R&B thread through Mamalarky’s usual proggy needlework.
What sets Hex Key apart is the band’s ability to make complicated music feel instinctive. The complex time signatures, shifting dynamics, and meticulous layering never feel like showing off—they serve the emotional arcs of the songs. This is an album that rewards deep listening, but doesn’t demand it.
Built From the Inside Out
Recorded in the band’s Los Angeles home studio, Hex Key is not just sonically daring—it’s deeply personal. The title refers to a tool that holds things together, a metaphor for the internal restructuring that took place during the album’s creation. From themes of burnout and heartbreak to introspective moments of growth and resilience, this album feels like a rebuilding project. There’s sweat and vulnerability in every detail.
Bennett’s lyrics are poetic but grounded, often speaking to emotional complexity without tipping into abstraction. Whether detailing a roadside breakdown or the slippery nature of self-worth, her voice is confident yet raw—never trying to outpace the feeling at the center of each song.
A Polarizing Puzzle Worth Solving
Not everyone will click with Hex Key on the first listen. Its structure can feel unpredictable, and its refusal to settle into any single genre may be disorienting to some. But that restlessness is the point. Mamalarky isn’t here to deliver neat packages—they’re here to explore the messy, luminous corners of being alive.
In a landscape crowded with surface-level indie pop, Hex Key dares to dig deeper and sound stranger. It’s a record full of sharp turns and tender moments, unafraid to show both its brain and its bruises. Whether you’re in it for the off-kilter rhythms, the jazzy undercurrents, or the emotional candor, Mamalarky’s Hex Key unlocks something thrillingly human.
Standout Tracks:
“Broken Bones,” “Anhedonia,” “Take Me,” “12 Reasons Why,” “Nothing Lasts Forever”