Mallory Knox - Asymmetry

Releasing two albums in two years is a big deal for any artist, let alone these Cambridge lads; having to compete with and distinguish themselves from every other alternative rock band out there isn’t easy.

Mallory Knox seem to have departed from the slightly heavier sound of their debut, yet both albums are packed full of fun, repetitive lyrics that can be easily remembered. I understand that writing lyrically challenging songs is an art that needs to be practiced a lot, but it can get a little boring to hear the same words over and over (see Ghost In The Mirror). Ghost In The Mirror (which predictably, is the first line of the song) kicks off the album; it’s a typical American lovey-rock song, that sets out the tone for the rest of the record.

While I admittedly love alternative music, I acknowledge that it can all get a bit repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, I love soppy rock-songs - my teenage years were full of them. Yet I just wanted something different from Mallory Knox this time around. I suppose it could be argued that most alternative-rock is based around heart-felt stories - Paramore, You Me At Six, and Lower Than Atlantis to name just a few who have also followed this path. In this respect, the boys pull it off. The sound itself differs from the first album and therefore, to me, this renders it more admirable. It is clear that the boys know what they’re doing when it comes to the sound that they want to produce and their powerful guitar and drumming skills make up for the lack of lyrical sense. After all, it is all about the music at the end of the day.

Dying To Survive, one of my favourite songs from the album, not only shows that these guys can keep to their alternative roots but that they can fully rock out and switch things up at the same time. This track demonstrates that alt-rock doesn’t always have to be repetitive. Heart & Desire slows things down a little more as well, showing some diversity that any fan would want to see: the ability to strip things down from time to time. This was the point where I started to appreciate the soppy-love song; I think Heart & Desire will be the song from the album that teenage girls will fall in love with.

Yet Mallory Knox aren’t just for girls. Their overall sound and musical vibe can easily be enjoyed by either gender as I find that most of the time, I am more interested in the musical sounds that they’re creating rather than their lyrics. It’s true that what they lack in lyrical ability they make up for in sound.

In all honesty, despite having said that alternative rock can get a little boring after a while, as the album progresses, the more Mallory Knox prove me wrong. It may start off a bit shaky and repetitive but by the end, the boys have you wanting to listen to Asymmetry on repeat.