Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary

Waveriders.Real quick.Have you listened to the song "Whales" off of Hail Mary Mallon's latest album Bestiary?Or better yet, have you seen the official music video for "Whales"?No?Well then it's time to rectify that unfortunate oversight!The aforementioned video is embedded at the bottom of this article so scroll down, watch the greatness unfurl before your very eyes, and then resume reading in two minutes and fifteen seconds once the video is over.Go ahead.Enjoy yourselves.
Fantastic, right!?I know!Everything about this song works for me.The lyrics are absurd and absurdly entertaining.The beat is incredibly simple, allowing the vocalists to dominate the listener's attention.Speaking of attention, thanks to it's two minute run time the song doesn't have the chance to wear out it's welcome.In my mind it's nearly perfect!Also, the video is ridiculous.So what about the rest of the album?I'm glad you asked.
A little background information first.Hail Mary Mallon is a hip-hop power trio made up of Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz.Besides delivering the vocals Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic also handle all production duties.DJ Big Wiz is responsible for the turntablism.Bestiary is their second album.
From the first moments of Bestiary the listener knows they're in for something very different than anything they might have come across on the radio/tv.The lyrical delivery does not follow standardized patterns on several occasions.Different rhythms to complement all sorts of different rhymes.Also the production is borderline ominous.The way the bass lines and beats percolate through the speakers keeps the listener on edge from start to finish.
Bestiary is an incredibly cohesive album.The songs, while distinct, readily flow into one another."Whales" is definitely my favorite track but I am also incredibly partial to "Dollywood", "King Cone", and album opener "Jonathan".Bottom line waveriders?Click on the second embedded video, listen to the entire album of musical goodness while watching someone who is far better at playing Donkey Kong than anyone has any right to be, and then buy your own copy of Bestiary.Hail Hail Mary Mallon!We (or at least I) thank you for making music more interesting.
-Penfold