Austin-born, now Los Angeles-based Mamalarky carves a new notch into the indie rock scene with Hex Key, their 2025 release. While the album borrows its title from a toolbox, nothing about it feels mechanical — each track is alive, restless, tangled in emotion. Balancing the chaotic blur of noise pop with the ease of soft rock, the band weaves together the elasticity of alt-R&B with indie rock’s sharp instinct.
“Anhedonia” – A Melody Flowing from Numbness
“Anhedonia” — that strange state of emotional flatline — is turned inside out here. Mamalarky narrates this paralysis with melodic rebellion, making you feel what it means to be both present and distant at the same time. Guitars slice yet slump, while vocals echo like your own interior monologue, circling back on itself.
“Nothing Lasts Forever” – A Fleeting Note Scribbled to Infinity
One of the album’s centerpiece tracks, “Nothing Lasts Forever” is rhythmically light but emotionally weighty. The vocal melodies avoid easy patterns, zigzagging unexpectedly. Just when you think the track will go on forever — it stops. Exactly like its name suggests.
“Feels So Wrong” – The Right Expression of Feeling Wrong
Perhaps the album’s most polished production, “Feels So Wrong” takes inner turmoil and sets it to a funky, slinking bassline and pillowy synths. It’s both cerebral and physical: while your thoughts spiral, your head nods in agreement.
Mamalarky’s Purposeful Chaos, Wrapped in Its Own Signature
Hex Key is a collection of moods masquerading as songs. Each track draws from a different emotional weather pattern, yet the album feels miraculously cohesive. What seems scattered is, in fact, intentional — every detail placed with quiet precision.
This isn’t a genre exercise; it’s a personality in stereo. An album of keys, each unlocking something a little different. The locks? Well… those are yours.
