On The Up

Mary Timony should probably be knighted by now. The US guitarist has been a punk and indie mainstay since the 90s, pulling shifts of varying lengths in Helium, Wild Flag and numerous solo endeavours, yet Ex Hex, her band since 2013, might be the one to secure said sword-dubbing.

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Ex HEx

Fall under the spell of the next great American guitar band

The trio’s debut Rips certainly did exactly that garnering a heap of critical nods in the process – but second album It’s Real is something special, bringing Timony’s guitar to the fore in a layered love letter to the scuzzier end of 70s radio rock.

“My general rule is that I try to only play things on the guitar that I have heard in my head, rather than lines that look interesting on the fretboard, or things that are taken from somewhere else,” explains Timony of her playing philosophy. “It just ends up better that way.”

The likes of Rainbow Shiner, Another Dimension and Cosmic Cave spew out riffs and solos at a rate of knots, showcasing a style that is a digested amalgam of glam, punk, garage bands, hard rockers, indie jangle and driving AOR, yet somehow still louche enough to be unpredictable. It follows then that – despite having a wall of 12 greatest hits amps at their disposal – it was a Rockman headphone amp that landed a big role in creating her punchy retro tone.