Mamalarky is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Mamalarky. The album was released on November 20, 2020 through Fire Talk Records.

Mamalarky
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 20, 2020
RecordedNovember 2018 – January 2020
Venue30:10
StudioStudio 22
Los Angeles, California
Genre
LabelFire Talk
ProducerJoe LaPorta
Mamalarky chronology
Fundamental Thrive Hive
(2018)
Mamalarky
(2020)
Singles from Mamalarky
  1. "Fury"
    Released: January 15, 2020[4]
  2. "Schism Trek"
    Released: September 15, 2020[5]
  3. "You Make Me Smile"
    Released: October 17, 2020[6]
  4. "Drug Store Model"
    Released: November 16, 2020[7]

Background and recording edit

Recording for the album took over a period of two years, from the time they released their debut extended play, Fundamental Thrive Hive in 2018, to the eponymous debut album.[8] Recording and mixing took place across Los Angeles in Studio 22 and Automatic and the band's hometown of Austin, Texas during those two years.[8] Recording took place from November 2018 until December 2019, and in January 2020, mixing of the album took place in Austin.[8]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [10]
Gigwise          [3]
Paste7.5/10[2]
Pitchfork7.1/10[11]
Under the Radar          [1]

Mamalarky was well received by contemporary music critics. On review aggregator website, Metacritic, Mamalarkey received an average rating of 74 out of 100 based on four critic reviews.[9] Jesse Locke, writing for Pitchfork, gave the album a 7.1 out of 10, summarizing that the "Atlanta indie-rock quartet's debut album stands out from their contemporaries’ laid-back melancholy with complex instrumental interplay that inspires lean-forward listening."[11]

Gigwise writer, Niamh Pillinger, gave the album 8 out of 10. Pillinger said that Mamalarky "fuse a multitude of influences to create a unique prog-indie rock sound. With the rest of the band members having their own musical backgrounds – keyboard and synth bass player Michael Hunter plays with White Denim, and drummer Dylan Hill with Big Wy's brass band – there is no shortage of inspiration on their eponymous debut".[3]

Track listing edit

Mamalarky
No.TitleLength
1."Fury"2:09
2."You Make Me Smile"3:36
3."Schism Trek"2:32
4."Cosine"3:35
5."Big Trouble"2:52
6."Hero"3:13
7."Almighty Heat"3:34
8."Singalong"1:35
9."Drug Store Model"3:00
10."Don't Laugh At Me"4:04
Total length:30:10

References edit

  1. ^ a b Campbell, Caleb (December 28, 2020). "Mamalarky, Mamalarky, Fire Talk". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Salmon, Ben (November 24, 2020). "Mamalarky Showcase Their Skills, Instincts and Array of Influences on Self-Titled Debut". Paste. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Pillinger, Niamh (November 12, 2020). "Album Review: Mamalarky - Mamalarky". Gigwise. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  4. ^ Coster, Jamie (April 20, 2020). "Love and Fury, the Soft Radicalism of Mamalarky". Pond Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Griffin, Noemi (September 15, 2020). "MAMALARKY: "SCHISM TREK"". Melted Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  6. ^ "Mamalarky Share "You Make Me Smile" Track & Video From Debut Self Titled Album". Frontview Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Kaye, Ben (November 16, 2020). "Mamalarky Share the Origins of New Single "Drug Store Model": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c ""Will It Blend?" Inside Mamalarky's Two-Year Quest to Craft the Perfect Album". Atwood Magazine. November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Mamalarky by Mamalarky Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  10. ^ Donelson, Marcy. Review of Mamalarky at AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Locke, Jesse (December 3, 2020). "Mamalarky: Mamalarky Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 2, 2021.

External links edit