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7 out of 10
This will be the second time I have written this review. The first one I wrote this morning after my first 2 or 3 listens of the EP. I did not give it a very high score; I was scathing of the unoriginal synth-laced pop-rock style that seems to be massively popular right now. I was derogatory towards the simplistic lyrics and the repeated occurrences of big 'breakdowns'. But then I listened to it again, after what had been a particularly awful day, and the sun started streaming in through my window, and I had a huge urge to put this on repeat and just listen to it. So I decided to re-write my review, because now, I actually quite like it.
This EP will not set the world on fire, it does nothing new whatsoever. But, it is honest music, it is a pop-record through and through and it is also very good. There are moments of quality during this short EP (just clocking in over 20 minutes) that show you that Mercy Mercedes might have enough about them to keep doing this for a long time. A perfect example being the song The Perfect Scene. It's a catchy song for sure, but a welcome guitar solo just pushes it out of the 'generic' bracket enough for it to be considered a very good song. Equally the opener, Dr. Huxtable doesn't fly out of blocks but it keeps at you, and you really can't help but like it. Perhaps the strongest track on the album, Here We Are, is another example of how the band demonstrating that they know how to write a good pop song. It again showcases some nice lead guitar work and also finds the band trying to carve themselves a small niche in an over-saturated genre.
It does not come as a huge shock to see these boys from North Carolina going out on tour with Forever the Sickest Kids and Farewell. Bands like these are obvious influences on their sound but there is just enough about them to differentiate them from their peers and, for a debut effort for their new label, The Militia Group, this is definitely promising.
Regardless, I still have some doubts over the staying power of this EP and my initial thoughts are still lingering in the back of my head. Yet I want to feel positive about this EP, it is a positive album with some definite highlights. So, with news of a full-length on the way, this American quintet has the potential to join the likes of All Time Low as major players on the pop rock scene.
Listen: www.myspace.com/mercymercedes
Tracklist:
1. Dr. Huxtable
2. Shiver Me Timbers
3. Get it Darlin'
4. The Perfect Scene
5. Here We Are
6. Revolution
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