Las Vegas punks Mercy Music bring a special brand of pop punk on their newest effort ‘What You Stand To Lose’. Very much in the vein of classic punk acts like Jawbreaker, Jawbox, Samiam but also mixed with more traditional pop aspects which brings them into another realm. I hear a lot of similarities to bands like Ultimate Fakebook among others but mix that with some Alkaline Trio and give it a helping heaping of 90’s alt rock like Superdrag, Nada Surf, Fountains of Wayne and more. The band sites other classic influences like Thin Lizzy and Squeeze and that is easy to hear, the production and songwriting is so far above what most punk bands are capable of.
The bands new record starts off so strong with the song “Suddenly” and the first single “Love You / Need You” and it’s all the perfect lead in to a record that really doesn’t have one bad song on it. This is like the Beatles of pop punk because it’s smart lyrically and musically. It’s like it takes complex melody that a band like ELO would use and turns it into pop punk but that underlying structure is what really sets it apart from other bands. Lyrically, Brendan Scholz songs like “Believe in We” are heartbreaking and gives insight to past trauma.
The band found the perfect producer in Descendants Bill Stevenson. The bands songs have driving punk rhythms but also are such pop gems. They remind me a lot of Descendants tracks like “I’m The One” although at times Mercy Music inject a lot more traditional pop elements. Songs like “Found Out I’m Usless” has a solo and rhythms that would be at home in a Queen song. Overall what I’m saying is the band has a solid foundation in classic rock and have punkified all of it to make an amalgamation that is nothing short of astounding. In terms of modern punk bands they are in line with bands from Face To Face to Against Me but their drawing inspiration from rock song structures puts them over the edge as a band to pay attention to. The final album track “Waiting To Begin” also shows this band isn’t a one trick pony, they literally do it all as they end the record with a haunting ballad. Definitely makes me want to catch them on tour! Oh, and look at that, speaking of you can catch them on tour with Unwritten Law and Authority Zero:
Mar. 18 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Mar. 21 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
Mar. 22 - Austin, TX @ Parish
Mar. 23 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Mar. 24 - New Orleans, LA @ Santos
Mar. 25 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Mar. 26 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Mar. 29 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
Mar. 30 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
Mar. 31 - Winter Park, FL @ Conduit
Apr. 1 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits Live
Apr. 2 - Charlotte, NC @ Milestone
Apr. 4 - Virginia Beach, VA @ The Bunker Brewpub & Cadence Hall
Apr. 5 - Baltimore, MD @ The Crown Baltimore
Apr. 6 - Asbury Park, NJ @ House Of Independents
Apr. 7 - Philadelphia, PA @ Dave Kiss Presents - W.O.W.
Apr. 8 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
Apr. 10 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
Apr. 11 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Apr. 14 - Las Vegas, NV @ 24 Oxford
Apr. 15 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's