ALBUM REVIEW: What You Stand To Lose – Mercy Music
Las Vegas punks MERCY MUSIC are back with their fourth studio album What You Stand To Lose. For the band themselves, the record represents a variety of thoughts, feelings and doubts following a variety of ‘monumental’ life events that took place since the release of their previous studio album in 2020. In their own words, it’s “about coming face to face with one of your worst fears, learning from the experience, and hoping you come out the other side a better person.”
They’ve stated that the main goal of their music is to act as a solace to anyone struggling and with this record it’s fair to say that they’ve achieved that goal. From start to finish, you’ll find yourself enjoying a variety of songs that, while covering some uncomfortable truths and feelings, have you feeling positive and hopeful that everything will be fine in the end. Opening with Suddenly, listeners are immediately greeted with catchy guitar strumming and vocals before the full band joins in to create a bouncy pop-punk track that feels nostalgic and offers feelings of assurance. Even then, you could say that this is a pop-punk track with a slightly ‘serious’ vibe with the use of rock ‘n’ roll littered throughout, including an impressive guitar solo, and lyrics covering feelings of doubt as one faces the harsh reality of adult life and responsibilities, but still, it’s a fun song that you’ll find yourself dancing along to.
And that’s the general vibe throughout the record; songs covering relatable and sometimes serious situations that you’ll still find yourself dancing and smiling along without a care in the world. Whether it’s the familiarity of songs like Love You/Need Me, that seems to have drawn heavy influence from the mid-2000s scene with artists like TAKING BACK SUNDAY coming to mind; or punk tracks like Believe In We and Watch Me Drown, which feel heavily reminiscent of artists like THE OFFSPRING; or the fun, bouncy Fine that blends pop-punk, rock and ska with ease and has us reminded of being sat in the sun in the middle of a field during a music festival; there’s always something here that will make you feel at ease.
A feel-good blend of alternative rock, punk, and pop, you can’t go wrong with What You Stand To Lose. It’s got catchy songs throughout with lyrics to sing along to, instrumentals and guitar solos to bop along to, and the constant urge to jump and dance around, what more could you want?
Rating: 8/10
What You Stand To Lose is out now via Double Helix Records/SBAM Records.
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