Born in Louisiana, raised in New Jersey but cutting her teeth in the streets of NYC Mallory Merk is essentially the cool girl next door, which does make sense considering her debut EP Strangers is a true coming-of-age project that details her own growing pains. Merk has never shied away from writing raw and candid music that discusses desolating subject matters that have plagued many people and she spares no expenses here either, but luckily they are softened by her dreamy alternative R&B soundscape.
Each track offers insight into her own adolescence and the transition to adulthood with the lyricisms portraying the emotion of this time in all our lives perfectly. You ride the hides and cherish the lows of her evocative songwriting knowing it’s an experience that you’ll never be able to go through again.
Clocking Hours thrives on it’s lyrical prowess, Ghost is the best track of this EP that I find myself repeating on a daily basis, Strangers is a gorgeously intimate affair, VooDoo Interlude is the best ‘interlude’ in a project I’ve heard in recent times, Syrup is destined to be in a future coming of age movie trailer song, Twelve Thirteen makes you feel as if you’re flying and Fresh Out is the cherry on top. Dive into this EP and experience all the glory for yourself.