Written by: Megan Langley
Have Mercy have been around for quite some time, and have crafted a signature sound over the course of six years, two EPs, and three full-length albums. Musically, the band’s previous releases have all shown influences of alternative rock, maybe even a little bit of pop punk, and especially emo and the many different styles and variations of that particular subgenre. With their latest effort The Love Life, Have Mercy started to switch things up a bit and experiment with their sound, pushing it in more of an ambient direction.
The album starts off with the captivating opener We Ain’t Got Love, which starts off simpler, driven only by an acoustic guitar and vocals, which really show off all throughout the track. Around two minutes in, guitars, harder hitting drums and some orchestral instrumentals kick in to create a lot of drama and emphasis leading up to and during the bridge and the outro of the song.
The three singles released are perfect examples of what to expect from the rest of the record in terms of influences and overall sound. Mattress On The Floor is one of many laid back tracks found on here, incorporating some cleaner guitars and much softer vocals, and really shows the new direction that the band went in with their sound. Clair also adds in those softer instrumentals here and there, but for the most part, it really shows the emo and alternative influences from the band’s older material (especially in the emotional and memorable chorus) and kind of combines those with the band’s new sound. While those two show the different sides of this album, the upbeat and all-around extremely catchy Heartbeat brings it all together and is a perfect blend of all the different musical influences and elements that were incorporated into these tracks.
Similarly to Clair, there are a couple other tracks on here with moments that trace back to the band’s emo and alternative rock roots and perfectly mix that with the newer influences found on this record. So Like You also starts out a bit softer, leading up to huge choruses where the instrumentals really kick in and the vocals put on one of the most raw and emotional performances on this entire album. It shows a different style to the vocals as well, and that style fits perfectly with such a hard hitting chorus. Speaking of which, the same can be said about the chorus in These Streets. The song as a whole, from the vocals and melodies (especially in that chorus) to the upbeat instrumentals driving the track, is very catchy and one of the most memorable ones that this album has to offer.
On the other hand, a handful of tracks on this album really embrace the new direction that the band went in. Dressed Down is a lot softer and more stripped down, bringing a refreshing change of pace to the record. This track, along with the beautiful closer 8006 Hedgeway CT, are some of the softest tracks (especially instrumentally) found on this record, and that really lets the vocals shine in a whole new way. However, the acoustically driven Just Fine does this the most, and the vocals on this track put on another one of the most raw and honestly, one of the overall best performances on the album. 40oz and Control are much softer instrumentally and vocally, and are two of the best examples of the new influences that the band experimented with. That being said, they’re also a bit more upbeat compared to some of the other tracks that show these influences, and that makes them also stand out quite a bit amongst the rest of the album.
Even as someone who didn’t really get into Have Mercy’s music in the past, I can definitely say that The Love Life really won me over. While it’s definitely a bit of a departure from the emo and alternative-tinged music found on their previous records, these new influences work really well for them, and they do a great job of including those influences while experimenting with their sound. Together, it creates a really intriguing and impressive fourth LP for Have Mercy.