While mary in the junkyard keep some secrets close to their heart, they still flash their eyes at us, allowing their unique and empathetic understanding of the world – that humans are just creatures with fears, hopes, and yearns for companionship – to shine through

On their long-awaited first record, the London trio continue weaving fantastical tales with their surreal soun

With such a compelling frontperson in Freeman-Taylor, the band is close to finding the spark that will make them stand out in a crowded field

The London trio rummage through musical daydreams and trust their chemistry as friends and bandmates while piecing together a full-length as imaginative as it is eclectic

The London trio updates the naive humanism of 2000s indie-folk with modern dread and restless experimentation on its ambitious full-length debut

‘Role Model Hermit’ is cinematic, immersive and deeply moving. Landing somewhere in between Wolf Alice and English Teacher, the complex instrumental layerings and weaving storylines will entrance you

The London trio’s sound on their debut record is one that takes a bit of digging to fully appreciate, valuing mood over hooks

Most upstart bands do not reach, let alone commence with, such strong thematic unity and the uncanny ability to express it through every single instrument used

Mary in the Junkyard considers the lonesome, hooded figure on the cover that stares back in the onlooker’s direction, like a sailor who has returned from a journey and made it onto shore nonetheless

Mary In The Junkyard are the awkward, quirky, beautiful indie pop band of the summer

The south London trio have, with confidence honed over two years of constant gigging, made one of the best debut albums of the year

Here it is. The tricky debut album. How many times have we seen bands gain a bit of momentum and then lose it all the minute that first LP hits the airwaves? Well, it’s Mary in the Junkyard’s turn to bat, and I’m happy to report, they’ve knocked this debut record out of the park

The London-based trio mary in the junkyard’s debut album is a magnificent feat in angry, sad and fantastical folk-rock