From the state of Washington DC comes The Mercy Alliance, an Indie Pop band armed with their latest release Some Kind Of Beautiful. Fronted by songwriter Joe Rathbone, the band have gained a modest following in their home state with their own brand of melodic and somewhat floaty Indie Pop. The new record is a pleasant listen, but lacks some of the soul that has propelled other Indie artists to stardom.
The album opener ‘Washington’ is currently available to listen to online now, and sets the mood of the record quite well. Rathbone’s vocal chops are reminiscent of acts like James at their best – the song floats along with a strong verse but a somewhat disappointing chorus. While the bed of instruments that prop the songs up are well composed and produced to a high standard, they feel a little safe. This is true throughout Some Kind Of Beautiful, as the songs provide a very safe, coffee shop vibe without really jumping off the edge and mustering the unique flair that most artists crave. While some may enjoy the very bubblegum approach to Indie Rock/Pop, I personally prefer the acts that have their own voice and USP.
The album’s vocal content isn’t terribly consistent either – swinging from almost soulful, emotive croons to a forgettable higher register that loses the identity of the band and blends into the many acts we’ve heard before. The lyrics of the songs also tend to play it a bit too safe, refusing to venture into darker or more complex concepts and instead remain in the familiar territories of “Rather Generic Love Song” and “Love Song Sang From A Bit Further Away”.
There is a hearty amount of redeeming qualities hiding inside the record for those with enough patience to delve deeper than the first few tracks. When synths come into play on the songs ‘This Is How They Know‘ and ‘I Can’t Do It‘ the general level of intrigue is definitely heightened. The instrumentation becomes more than just a foundation and becomes the main focus of the song, to a much greater effect than Rathbone’s vocals can muster on the opening few tunes.
Waiting at the end of the record are the highlights, the songs ‘Libertine‘ and ‘Drifting In’ far surpass the earlier efforts on the album. The former is a bluesy stomper where Rathbone relies on his much stronger lower register, almost growling over powerful harmonies with a Devil May Care attitude that I wish was seen more on an album that has much more potential than the track listing would have you believe. ‘Drifting In’ closes the album on a high note, a slower, melancholic number in which the melodic ideas and chaotic instrumentation gives cause to forgive the simplistic lyrics.
All in all, Some Kind Of Beautiful is far from a bad record – but poor track listing and a forgettable start drags down an otherwise interesting and engaging record.
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