Hey Mercedes
Everynight Fire Works (Vagrant)
by Tim Den
Even though I loved Hey Mercedes‘ debut EP, I was a bit worried about how their full-length was gonna come together. Having seen them perform most of Everynight Fire Works live, the tunes seemed unnecessarily long, sluggish, and monotone. Boy am I glad these recordings proved me wrong! Sure, it took a few listens to understand why the ex-Braid boys chose to repeat a certain verse or chorus two too many times, but eventually you get their intentions by paying close attention to the details and realize that Bob Nanna’s sneaky melodies are just too good not to repeat. If you thought the later Braid stuff (and the Hey Mercedes debut) had unexpected hooks and punchlines, wait ’til you hear “Every Turn,” “Que Shiraz,” and especially “Let’s Go Blue.”
(2118 Wilshire Blvd. #361 Santa Monica, CA 90403)