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Mary Hatley Breaks Through With Unflinching First Album ‘The Poison I Choose’
- Melodrift Team
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Mary Hatley’s The Poison I Choose feels less like a debut and more like the unveiling of a songwriter who’s been waiting her whole life to speak. Rooted in Memphis’ storied musical soil, the record fuses blues, country, rock, and pop into a sound that is both timeless and fresh. Hatley’s voice is the kind that lingers—husky, vulnerable, and unflinchingly honest.
Across twelve tracks, Hatley doesn’t shy away from the messy edges of life. Songs like Cross You Twice and Wine, Flowers, & Blood explore religious trauma and political turmoil with stark clarity, while Dog Days and Miss You Dear offer poignant meditations on grief and resilience. Each lyric feels carved from lived experience, giving the record its remarkable depth.
What makes the album stand out is Hatley’s balance of strength and softness. Even in songs born of pain—like the haunting title track—there’s an undercurrent of defiance, a refusal to surrender. This tension between vulnerability and power makes The Poison I Choose a debut that doesn’t just introduce Mary Hatley, but firmly establishes her as a voice worth following.
