The fourth full-length record from alternative rock band, Mercy Music, shows a lot of growth in the band’s musicianship, and is filled with slick hooks, rip-roaring guitar solos, and accessible vocals that make you want to join in on the fun. What You Stand To Lose finds the Las Vegas-based band tinkering with their punk rock roots and they have made an album worthy of your time. The set of songs was produced by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, Descendents) and mixed by Jason Livermore (NOFX, Hot Water Music), and it tackles relatable themes like heartbreak, trusting yourself, and refusing to conform to the status quo. Lead singer/guitarist Brendan Scholz shared, “”What You Stand To Lose is 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.” With a sound that strays somewhere between The Explosion, The Ataris, and The Bouncing Souls, Mercy Music may have just made your next favorite album to add to your collection.
”Suddenly” starts off the record on the right foot with some great power pop chords, paired with Scholz’s nice croon as he opens with, “Suddenly I can’t avoid this / Apparently I can’t enjoy things all alone / Suddenly I can’t avoid this / I wanna stand up jump and say so long.” The conflict in the lyrics paint a person willing to take some risks in order to see the light of better days ahead. “Real” features a cool start, stop chorus in the instrumental parts to bring weight to each of the pointed lyrics. While “Believe in We” features some beach rock vibes while it powers along to radio glory, “Undone” brings in more context to the overall outlook of Mercy Music’s path ahead as Scholz sings, “These words cut / But I bleed / Cause my own defeat / So feel the pain and go away / Like the rest that I’ve undone.” The vibes put out are quite summery, and the timing of the record being released at the start of the season is just perfect.
Side A closes out with “Fine,” a track that complements the great dynamic between Scholz and bassist Jarred Cooper, while drummer Rye Martin keeps the frenetic pace going in the right dramatic direction. The back half opens with a great trilogy of “Watch Me Drown,” “What’s The Use,” and my personal favorite in the set, “Found Out I’m Useless,” with the latter exploring the thoughts of self-doubt in a relationship that appears to be one-sided.
”Total Nightmare” and “Waiting To Begin” close out this fourth chapter in Mercy Music’s legacy that is picking up speed and purpose in the middle of their career. Cooper shared, “When people listen to What You Stand To Lose, I want them to feel happy, sad, inspired and depressed. Then I want them to feel happy again. That last part is critically important.” If that’s what the band set out to do, mission accomplished.