The 400 Project

If you read my previous article on Have Mercy and their album A Place Of Our Own, you know that I am big fan of their work. That release had a pretty amazing diversity in each song, both through their choice of lyrics and overall style. I would still highly recommend to check that out. This time we will be looking at their new release, Make the Best Of It.

Give a warm welcome back to all the things that made Have Mercy stand out in the past. Their ability to craft lyrics in a soulful and thought-provoking way continues in each song of this new album. Brian Swindle’s vocals drive every song adding an emotional punch to each word. These gravelly vocals convey the emotions being developed in the lyrics making it easy to find yourself connecting with the moments of each song. These tracks clearly have a deeper meaning to the band, creating an emotional journey through each song from start to finish.

You said you’re holding on to old memories
They keep you from moving on to all of your dreams – Coexist

Sticking within the post-hardcore/emo genre, this album feels like have Have Mercy has found their groove. Familiar elements can be found from their past releases – acoustic melodies meet heavy vocals with emo elements – but it feels like they have developed a more cohesive sound. A Place Of Our Own was a more diverse offering from song to song, almost like the band was searching to find themselves. If that is the case then Make the Best Of It is them accomplishing that goal, honing in on the elements that made them stand out all along.

Have Mercy’s strength lies in their ability to jump around from slow to fast to slow again, almost like they are taking different pieces of tracks and building them together into one cohesive melody. The results are great tracks that will give you a reason to re-listen. The lyrics will rattle around in your brain inspiring consideration of their meaning (both intended and your own interpretation). Good Christian Man is a great example of that, check out the music video for that track below:

The one miss with this album is that it doesn’t have the same immediate impact that To Convey had in A Place Of Our Own. Smoke and Lace is a great song, but it doesn’t start off set up the album quite the same. To Convey was a unique album opener that set the tone of the songs to come, drawing listeners to want to hear more. Make The Best Of It may not begin with the same type of bang, but there are certainly other elements here to drive you though from start to finish. It’s safe to say that this is all part of a band developing their sound from one album to another album.

Head over to Spotify now to check out Make The Best Of It, and make your way to Have Mercy’s site for more info on upcoming tours and how to support the band!

Once you have given it a listen come on back and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!