Mary in the Junkyard – Role Model Hermit

The need to feel protected drives Clari Freeman-Taylor. As the primary lyricist of rising art-rock trio Mary in the Junkyard, Freeman-Taylor often protects her energy from the hurt that the outside world might bring. But that vulnerability also brings the fire into their sweeping arrangements, housed in an attention-grabbing debut album.

As the UK has become a hotbed of new indie rock talent, Mary in the Junkyard feeds off the competitive atmosphere. Functioning as a stripped-down trio, deftly managed by multi-instrumentalists Freeman-Taylor (guitar, cello, viola, and violin) and Saya Barbaglia (bass/violin), who swap instruments, the band maintains a sense of control in their unconventional setup.

This fluidity makes Role Model Hermit tricky to predict from the outset. Grunge pop has become something of a catch-all term for the band’s fiercest moments. And there’s truth to that on a track like “Seek and Destroy,” which balances an overdriven guitar tone over Freeman-Taylor’s fey singspeak. But it doesn’t tell the whole story, as “Blood” demonstrates, where the band relies on a soft interweaving guitar melody to drive the rhythm section.

In the vein of English Teacher and Porridge Radio, Freeman-Taylor leans on stark, poetic lyricism to articulate her conflicted emotions. There is a directness here, though. When not feeling spent by the idea of going out on “Destroy,” she cleverly follows it with defiance on “New Muscles,” building the strength to face the world before her stamina runs dry. That yearning for connection never ceases, even when it becomes impossible. Such is the case on the gliding album highlight “Crash Landing,” where Freeman-Taylor longs to move beyond a difficult relationship.

While not lacking in range, the tribal-led “Thou Shalt Sprout” being another good example, the band often offers a mannered blend of mid-tempo ballads. It does hold back Mary in the Backyard from showing their full potential, but with such a compelling frontperson in Freeman-Taylor, the band is close to finding the spark that will make them stand out in a crowded field.

Role Model Hermit is out now via AMF Records.