Hello Mary - “Special Treat”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Wolf Alice, Warpaint, Cherry Glazerr

Raw garage rock with breezy pop undertones, Hello Mary’s music is low-key catchy even when they are going for a heavy, visceral sound. It harkens back to 90s grunge rock when bands were able to use hooks without ever sounding outright pop. They give off a slacker nonchalance while playing the shit out their music, starting with the dense, grey debut Ginger and a string of broadening singles since. It was recently announced that seven of those tracks and three more to be released will make up Hello Mary’s self-titled full-length due later this March. While dark and full musically, Hello Mary do counter that notion with times of airy melodies and vulnerability, an approach that works to bring out the heart of their more shoegaze-leaning segments when Hello Mary are going for broke. Hello Mary open up a showcase for So Young at The Creek and the Cave Wednesday night that also features Lime Garden, The Goa Express, and Sports Team. (Kevin McStravick)