Few debuts arrive with the kind of confidence and clarity that Mary Hatley brings on The Poison I Choose. Anchored in the cultural richness of Memphis, the record captures the city’s soul while carrying stories that reach far beyond its borders. Hatley’s influences—classic rock, country, and soul—are woven seamlessly into a sound that feels familiar yet strikingly her own.
The heart of the album lies in its storytelling. Miss You Dear devastates with its exploration of fractured family ties and cycles of trauma, while The Poison I Choose delivers a gut-punching meditation on toxic love and the choices that keep us bound to it. Each song feels like a chapter in Hatley’s autobiography, yet her lyrics resonate universally, allowing listeners to see pieces of themselves in her journey.
What makes the album compelling is Hatley’s balance of introspection and celebration. What Are You Gonna Do anchors the record in Memphis nightlife, bringing levity and local color to balance its heavier themes. Meanwhile, Not The Only One transforms frustration into empowerment, showcasing her ability to channel personal pain into collective anthems of strength.
With a voice that can be tender one moment and defiant the next, Hatley embodies the contradictions of her subject matter: fragility and resilience, sorrow and joy, endings and beginnings. The Poison I Choose is a triumph not because it avoids darkness, but because it insists on singing through it.
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