Labels: Vagrant
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Now I don’t know how old Bob Nanna and the rest of the cats on this LP are, but I
always figured they were around my age, and they sound far too old to be making this
kind of music. I am sure it has been readily cooked up for people who enjoy shit era
Get Up Kids and other such bad pop punk. And I’m sure I’m too old to be listening to
it, I have no doubt that I am at least 10 years older than Vagrant Records “target
audience” for Hey Mercedes. Sadly, if you want to look it that way, I also think this
is a great record, and it’s probably going to end up in my top 10 LP’s this year. I
don’t know what that says about me or Hey Mercedes or the year 2003, but what the
fuck. I never had any credibility in the first place, this isn’t going to do me any
harm.
The first couple of times I played this record I thought it was dire. The pits. The
shits. No good bits. Then I slapped it on a tape and played it my car the past couple
of days and I finally realised that it was an incredibly fun record. That doesn’t mean
it is the most technically accomplished album of the year, or the most innovative or
the most emo, it is just FUN. EFF YEW EN. 12 tracks of unabashedly straightforward
rock music, replete with chuggy rock riffs and Bob Nanna getting all giddy and singing
and yelling in that familiarly heartfelt way. Sure, it’s over-produced, sure it’s wave
upon wave of slick guitar and absurdly catchy riffage, but by heck it works! They’ve
discovered the magic formula. Pretty much all the songs have a characteristic that
burns itself into your ears and ensures it stays there by cooking on gas mark 10.
There are also moments where this band betrays their mid-west emo roots, which is
incredibly delightful. It’s wondering whether it should burst out, but for the most
part is drowned in the rock, but believe me it’s in there. Oh yes it is. I can just
tell they want to do that whooping “YEAH!” every now and again, it’s just bubbling
under the surface. I mean, take “Unorchestrated” which is so understated, Bob gets all
fragile and the twinkle guitar kicks off. Takes me back. And then there is “Absolute
Zero Drive” which has the twinkle in full effect at times, gorgeous – midwest as fuck!
There are a couple of songs that don’t really do it for me, such as “Playing Your
Song” which is a bit lightweight and wishy washy, and Bob sings the word “fucking”
with no emotion. SWEAR WITH PASSION BOB, AND SWEAR FOR A REASON! Braid would never
have stood for that.
Well yeah. It’s a real good LP, I prefer to listen to it in the car but it’s still
good indoors. It renewed some positivity in me and gives me hope after a shitty week
of shitty shit. ROCK!