Two questions here:
- Is it just me?
- And if it isn’t couldn’t you have told me?
What I mean is, surely it can’t just be me that reacted to the news of The Mercy Kills best of with the words: “who?” and if everyone else was aware of them, then why did you all keep them to yourselves?
Anyway to catch the uninitiated up to speed, The Mercy Kills are a four piece from Melbourne featuring Mark E (Vox/Guitar), Jen X Costello (Bass/Vox), Nathalie Gellé (Guitar/Vox) and Josh Black (Drums).
“X” is a seven song celebration of their decade long career. None of that is too important because the band offer this and it seems to encapsulate the whole thing: “This EP is like a live set of our favourite tracks, as if we were blastin’ out a killer 30-minute show. These seven songs have been selected from five different releases, over the last decade.'” And, frankly that’s pretty much it.
They don’t particularly sound like anyone else, which is always fun. “Alone” wraps itself around a chunky riff, and the vocal interplay is interesting. Sweet and sleazy, all at once.
That’s basically the vibe throughout, and this is deceptively heavy and punky. “Fall” screeches with a real intent, before the harmonies sucker you in, and “Like You” adds a power pop cool to the mix.
Back in the late 90s, I loved bands like Honeycrack and Last Great Dreamers. Both would have killed for a song like “Blackout”, and like those bands, this sound is built on the multi-layered vocal approach. Unlike them, The Mercy Kills have a real hard rock heart. Bands like Vain had the same heavy sleaze as “Rain”, and “Say You Do” dispenses with any idea of subtlety and offers a filthy masterclass that belongs in the Cathouse in about 1986.
Yet for all that, this is modern sounding, forward looking and original and by the time “Save” – with its slightly more epic, grungish hook – has played out, then the only thought is that if this really was a gig, then it would have been a cracker. Short, sharp, and brimming with danger.
“X” marks the spot for some real hidden treasures here – and if you’ve never heard of The Mercy Kills up to this point, consider this your notice to put that right.
Rating 8.5/10
