Merit – Arson Is For Lovers

Female vocalists are held accountable to some pretty odd standards in the world of alternative music.  If their voices are overly expressive they become defined as mainstream pop acts, if they take an artsy approach they become underground indie sensations. The result has been an explosion of female fronted indie and pop acts, but very few female vocalists taking up the middle.  Typically when female fronted groups find themselves in that middle ground between indie and the mainstream, critics lump them in with the pop side of things.  Meanwhile, male counterparts taking the same approach still keep their association with the underground.  Case and point, a lot of people would consider Paramore “pop,” and New Found Glory “punk,” but really, there isn’t a huge difference.

For this reason I was pleasantly surprised when I ran across indie rock group Merit.  I’m not really sure where to place the female fronted Merit on the aforementioned spectrum, but I’m not really sure it matters.  But it’s nice to know someone isn’t letting those unforgiving standards dictate their path.

Vocalist Brenna Merritt finds a balance somewhere between the complex nature of indie-pop groups like Feist, and the mainstream finesse of well trained made-for-the-money singers like Kelly Clarkson.  In other words, Brenna’s soft voice is strong and confident, but also tightly tied into the music.  The music for that matter walks that fine line between indie and radio-pop.  It’s not terribly remarkable, but with the help of Brenna’s soft, guiding voice, gets the job done.  The melodies are traditional but thoughtful, but also show signs of a pretty intense thought process.  For example, in “Blue Bedroom” a lively bass guides the refrain into a catchy vocal driven chorus, supported by the faint, escalating hum of a scaling synth note.  It’s playful, engaging, and pleasantly listenable.

While the lyrics are predictable, even the slow, power-ballad like tracks somehow overcomes their over trodden clichés.  For example, in “Mourning Dove” Brenna’s voice becomes one with her bandmates’ instruments, guiding the track from start to finish. The lyrics still leave much to be desired, but time and again Brenna’s voice seems to overcome that lack of lyrical originality.

I don’t think I’m being entirely clear in my description of Merit in this review, but you probably get my drift.  However, if you’re still unclear, I’d recommend going to their website and downloading the album for a first hand listen – it’s free to the world, and worth far more than the asking price.