Delightfully Scot with infusions of American country music and influenced by the deep Appalachian Hills, Have Mercy Las Vegas has been making quite the impression on their audience lately, as the six-piece band brings together a fused style of music that’s revered as “The Greatest Scottish festival band you’ve never heard of” by the Daily Record. Keep reading for my thoughts on their latest album, “Light And Shade”!
The opener, “Vanity Gate”, sets the stage quite nicely with a laid-back, easygoing sound that is helped along by the steady strumming of the acoustic guitars, while the vocals sit atop them, with vocal layers that give it an airy, floating feeling. There is also quite a bit of liveliness and zest in the sound, and the balance struck, as a result, is remarkable— appealing to the listener, and quite effective in laying down the foundation for the tracks to come, on “Light And Shade”.
“Namaste” follows soon after, this tim bringing a much more fun-loving sound with significant country inspirations, especially with the guitar work, and the vocals turn up the energy a notch here, with just that much more cadence in the lines, some pace making itself apparent, warming the listener up quite nicely. There is also much to appreciate about the harmonies on this song, and the lyrics are a definite stand-out, feel-good characteristic of this song to look forward to.
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“Formby’s Smile” is a whole fiesta, an explosion of energy that strikes you right in the face come second zero, and is a very light-hearted, with definite influences from tango, a whole element of drama uplifting this song, and “Light And Shade”, as an album, to another level altogether.
Some other tracks that stand out on this album include the halfway point, “Kick Drum And Rum”, with its distinctly sea-shanty sound, perfect for the bonfire and a couple of drinks as each vocalist does harmonies and the easygoing guitars, while relaxing sounding, show off quite a bit of technical mastery in playing here. “Shadows” starts bringing the energy down gently, returning to the easy-listen roots of the album, and is done well.
“Light And Shade” closes the curtain on the listener with “Rock Paper Scissors”, and is an exemplary display of great male vocals blended with creamy guitars and a warm, welcoming sound. All throughout this album, the production remains a strong point with great melodic harmonies, and heartwarming songwriting that is sure to make your day. Couple this with a warm, welcoming mix and master, and Have Mercy Las Vegas are set to make charts with this one. Check out “Light and Shade” here!
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