Mercy Arms
Mercy Arms
Independent


Mercy Arms have been through the rigmarole that is the music industry - the demise of their label meant that they had no avenue for release, before a quick fix solution was found through Levity Records, temporary guardians of one of NZ's finest, Cut Off Your Hands. The result was an excellent EP that was largely dismissed by the band as outdated and unrepresentative. Now, they have their full length, an uncompromisingly independent release that was certainly worth the wait. While the iTunes revolution churns out single track sales for commercial and indie artists alike, Mercy Arms have crafted a unique full length album of consistently beautiful noisy pop.

The self-titled release combines Thom Moore's phenomenal songwriting skills with Kirin J Callinan's penchant for noise guitar textures into what is a truly great blend of beautiful Smiths-like pop and late 80's shoegaze, with occasional bouts of punk, plus jazz changes and spoken word (See Shine A Light Down). This is a band of four songwriters and the result is consistently beatific, sweet, romantic and powerful. Soaring choruses build beautifully above often brooding but powerful verses.

The intro to Kilby is breathtaking, sounding more like an experimental orchestra than a four piece rock band, with pulsing strings and plucked harmonics before it launches into a blissful up-tempo rocker that drops subtly into one of the sweetest chorus melodies you'll hear. Here Thoms' vocal is great, from low and thoughtful to a falsetto that could be grandiose, but in this case is the pinnacle of a great track. Half Right is not dissimilar, in carrying a captivating pace, with yet another great Callinan riff that tips the hat to other modern interpreters. It's not dance rock, but it probably moves you more.

Daniel Gladys