Say Hi to Hello Mary’s ‘Emita Ox’
Photo by Cooper Winterson
Forget being demure, cutesy, and mindful—it’s time for Feral Girl Fall. There’s no better way to kick off Friday the 13th and spooky season than with Hello Mary’s sophomore album Emita Ox, released through Frenchkiss Records. Named one of “2023’s sharpest, noisiest debuts” by Rolling Stone, the alt-rock three-piece from NYC has been busy since their self-titled 2023 debut album. Drummer/vocalist Stella Wave, bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer, and vocalist/guitarist Helena Straight supported Silversun Pickups on their Physical Thrills tour, then headed to the UK for festival appearances, a couple headline shows, and performances supporting American Football. This fall, they’re embarking on their first headlining tour.
Considering Hello Mary’s performance odyssey, it’s no wonder that Emita Ox was partially born on the road. Emita Ox proves the three-piece aren’t slowing down anytime soon—especially not when it comes to expanding their sound. “Hiyeahhi” is the most experimental track of the album, unsettling yet engaging. Its undulating, otherworldly synths wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Lynch film. On the opening track “Float,” off-kilter rhythms and haunting vocals explode into frenzied drumming, relentless guitar, and hoarse yelling held down by Oppenheimer’s dense bass line. “Float” is most loyal to Hello Mary’s signature, textured sound reinvigorated through push-pull, attack-resist energy reflecting the album’s emotional tone that flips between restrained melancholy and open hostility.
To embrace the full listening experience of this album, I put on a tattered sweatshirt from middle school (you know, for that extra kick of nostalgia and existential dread of aging), accented my moodiness with finger-smudged black eyeliner, and walked to my coastal Brooklyn neighborhood’s pier. The sour-fresh ocean smell, snaggle-toothed Manhattan skyline, and juxtaposition of friendly, bobbing pigeons pecking at fishermen’s abandoned fish guts felt like the appropriate backdrop for Emita Ox. I highly recommend listening to this album while staring out at the water, lost in your thoughts. Dramatic, I know, but Emita Ox encourages dramatics. Don’t just say (or sing) how you feel—scream it, like Stella Wave’s piercing shrieks on the standout track “0%.”
“0%” opens with the fake-out lightness of a guitar riff that trips head-first into heavy-handed, shrieking distortion, trembling guitar wails, and a beat like someone pounding on a closed door with the answer of “I don’t feel bad you can’t be here!” This self-assurance is followed by the repeated howls of “I don’t know!” puncutated by xylophone brightness. The unapologetic lyrics and uninhibited delivery mirror Hello Mary’s willingness to push the expectations created by their debut album. Their confident growth suggests touring has both solidified their identity as artists while coaxing out more emotional vulnerability with their audience.
“Three” is a dark fairy tale with folkloric imagery: “Woke to the hands of three stitching and fixing me.” The album’s namesake hides within the lyrics “Emita stands politely with her ox’s head resting on her shoulder.” The heavy beats and distortion on “Down My Life” is reminiscent of “0%,” but restrained vocals feel more introspective, an easy transition into the acoustic strumming of “Knowing You.” It’s the first time acoustic guitar has taken center stage in Hello Mary’s sound, but lyrics lamenting a broken relationship—“Shame you went and drained us of trust”—keep the track from feeling too light. “Bubble” is another acoustic-forward song, melancholic despite its title. Soft vocals and light harmonies hint at a bubble’s iridescent sheen only to be burst by heavy riffs that stutter into prodding rhythms.
“Heavy Sleeper” is a distorted lullaby capturing the feeling of being on the verge of waking when reality seeps into dreams but doesn’t interrupt them. Ethereal backing vocals and the warmth of double bass plucking set this track apart from the rest of Emita Ox’s intensity, but “Footstep Misstep” is the hypnic jerk out of unsettling dreams into an even more unsettling reality with its echoed vocals and return to textured riffs. The restraint of “Courtesy” is weighed down with hits of a layered melody and sparse, but attention-grabbing, drums. The track’s clear, delicate vocals further emphasizes the range of Hello Mary’s sound. Emita Ox begins with a roar and ends with surprising softness, like an emotional outburst that ebbs into lonely introspection. “Everything We Do” asks, “If everything we do is fake, why don’t I do what I really want?”
Feral Girl Fall isn’t just about being loud but embracing autumn’s energy of transformation and the outbursts and lulls that are a part of it like the attack-restraint juxtaposition of Emita Ox. You don’t have to wait for permission to release the past and welcome a new identity. Look to Hello Mary’s courageous expansion of their sound as inspiration.
Photo by Jessica Gurewitz
Find the perfect soundtrack to your moody autumn strolls by listening to Emita Ox here, and catch Hello Mary live by checking out their upcoming tour dates.
