When Thirsty Merc burst onto the scene in 2003, I thought they were one of the most original local acts I’d heard in some time. But when they followed up their debut EP and self titled LP with a lackluster sophomore effort, Slideshows, I began to wonder whether we’d already seen their best.
It’s been three years since the release of Slideshows, and as I listened to their newie Mousetrap Heart today it seems the time away from the spotlight was a smart decision.
From the opening title track, this disc feels like the fresh Thirsty Merc of old. It’s got deep grooves and the quirky lyrics that endeared them to me all those years ago. This first single is a standout, but thankfully it’s not the only one. “Tommy and Krista” is a classic story song, with beautifully painted characters and a smile-inducing melody. “Bettie Page,” a nod to the vintage pinup model sees the boys rock out. It’s a welcome change of pace in this album of radio-friendly pop rock.
As any Thirsty Merc fan knows, the accessible nature of their music isn’t a criticism. Here Thirsty Merc have built on the promise they showed all those years ago; that originality is still there but it’s been given a bit of spit and polish by Los Angeles-based producer Matt Wallace. It’s not surprising to know he worked on Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane, as many of these songs would have sat nicely on that recording. There are a few missteps; “All My Life” is musically brilliant but contains lyrics so generic it’s hard to believe Thirsty Merc penned them, and the final two tracks seem sleepy and aimless. But no album is perfect. Thankfully though, with Mousetrap Heart, Thirsty Merc has come awfully close.
Mousetrap Heart hits all Aussie music stores today.
Image source: Thirsty Merc website
I’m loving the new album. Tommy and Krista definitely should be a single. I wish they’d market the crap out of it because it really could be a much-loved hit. Betty Page rocks out hard and reminds me of The Vision from Slideshows. I agree there are a couple missteps, but All My Life isn’t it. Kiss Me Away and Mozambique are probably the worst tracks on the album, shamelessly shallow pop fillers with no emotion. At least All My Life seems to be sung with some honesty even if the lyrics are a little unspecific. And Mousetrap Heart itself lost some of it’s magic when it transitioned from acoustic YouTube gem where it first showed up, into the radio-polished pop rock version with expletive removed. Those criticisms aside, it’s absolutely amazing to hear a mainstream album from Australia nail the funk-pop-rock genre so damn well. Despite having Wallace as producer, Thirsty Merc still sound like Thirsty Merc, and Damn This Love and Life Is Life are wonderful injections of Ray’s songwriting personality. It’s too bad that the emotionally strongest song that’s been floating around for the last 9 months on YouTube, “Always Dreamed Of You”, didn’t make the cut. Absolutely crushed that it didn’t. I disagree with you about the album closer, though. Waiting For You has a deep sense of Winter chill all over it. It’s a haunting closer. Maroon 5’s US fans may decide they have found something more real with Thirsty Merc.
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment Spectoral. Even the songs we disagree a bit on, i can completely understand where you’re coming from. Hearing what you got from them actually makes me appreciate them a little bit more. I think what we can agree on though is that Thirsty Merc have made something great here! Hopefully that translates into a big hit for these guys – they deserve it.
All My Life – we are going to play it while we take our wedding vows…love it!