New Music Friday: mary in the junkyard's Debut LP 'Role Model Hermit,' Smirk's 'Speculative Fiction'

July opened with a proper debut-album moment: London trio mary in the junkyard finally released their first full-length, Role Model Hermit, after a run of attention-grabbing singles and EPs built their name up over the past couple of years. Seattle’s Smirk — a band that’s been quietly stacking up critical goodwill — put out their own follow-up, Speculative Fiction, the same day.

Debut albums carry a specific kind of pressure, and early word is that mary in the junkyard didn’t just meet expectations, they moved the goalposts. We’ll have more to say on this one soon.

Source: CONE Magazine