Wired

There’s a blazing fire of back-from-the-brink attitude fueling this third record from Mallory Knox. It’s there, most obviously, on “Giving It Up”—a defiant call to arms dripping in squalling guitar—but it’s also a constant touchstone on an album shaped by both the excesses of the road and vocalist and bassist Sam Douglas’ struggles with anxiety. “California” is a stick of stadium-ready dynamite, and “For You” brims with soul-baring honesty and a breezy melody most pop stars would kill for.