I was originally going to review multiple albums that came out this summer, but then I realized that “Role Model Hermit” by mary in the junkyard was the only album I felt genuinely inspired to write about. Its freshness and vulnerability struck me from the very first time I listened, particularly the single “New Muscles.” The song opens with a groovy chorus of percussion, before lead singer Clari Freeman-Taylor begins vocalizing. Her unique voice sounds shrill, but not at all unpleasant, as she sings, “I was in the corner of my room / Like I was stuck to the wall / I’ve spent so long in my cocoon / And now I’m fully formed.” The song depicts self transformation and newfound strength; these “new muscles” have developed through hard self-work.
“Role Model Hermit” opens with the track “Mantra III,” which sultrily affirms, “It is yours babe, you deserve it / It is yours babe, no one else’s,” repeated over quivering and swelling strings. The vocals gradually grow quicker and briefer, with drums clattering seemingly at random. I don’t know that it offers a whole lot to the album. It’s not unpleasant to listen to, but I didn’t find it all that effective or necessary in the grand scheme of the album.
However, the next track, “Blood,” is one of my favorites. This is a song about intimacy, vulnerability, and new love, and despite the ominous title, it’s sweet and oddly hopeful. The theme of vulnerability continues onto the next track, “Seek and Destroy,” where Freeman-Taylor expresses her insecurities in relationships. The song culminates in repeating wails of “It’s all I can do to stay alive” and “Seek and destroy,” representing what I interpret to be a pattern of self destructive behaviors, stemming from these insecurities and doubts. In “Peter the Dog,” the earlier assertions of self-improvement are contradicted, when she sings — accompanied by more upbeat, pop-like instrumentals — “I don’t understand my tears / I’ve been doing so well,” demonstrating the ups and downs of healing.
The closing track, “Mouse,” is a tender song that coincidentally has some of the most powerful instrumentals, which rise and fall like waves. This imagery also comes to mind given the context of the song; according to Freeman-Taylor, the song came to life after she went to Iceland and fell in love with the ocean. “I remembered I was a fisherman in a former life with a mouse in my pocket, lost in a storm. It is about me reconnecting with the mouse when they have taken on a human form in this life,” she said in an interview with Dork magazine. I love this literal interpretation, which ties in closely with the enigmatic album cover. Overall, I love the earnestness of this album, portrayed through the vocals, lyrics and instrumentation. I see myself returning to it again and again, and can’t recommend it enough.
Featured image: Bandcamp
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