Ask me and I’ll be the first to tell you that the Twin Cities are running a surplus of alt-country bands; due largely (I believe) to a legacy left to us by legends like Paul Westerberg and the Jayhawks, it generally seems like we never have a shortage. As this is the case I am always a bit skeptical of the next band that comes around, proclaiming influences like Wilco and the Replacements, and taking the stage at the Uptown Bar with their flannel, beards, and Gibsons in tow. There are always exceptions to the rule however, and you can mark me a fan of new alt-country outfit on the scene, Mercer, largely on the strength of their first EP.

Principal songwriter Brian DeRemer channels the “Frustration of the regular guy” into the EP’s five songs, and while that angst seems a bit unfocused, it does give the tunes a very heartfelt edge. In “Street Fight” DeRemer imagines challenging an (unnamed) political figure to an alley brawl to vent his anger at the establishment. While you might expect that theme to lend the tune a frantic, ferocious pace, the soft acoustic strumming and almost tender sounding vocals make the effort sound quite sweet, actually. Similarly the imagined protagonist of “Cuba” (a falsely accused Guantanamo prisoner) mournfully serenades his absent family—not so much angry at his predicament as defeated by it. The real strength of “Cuba” is its bluesy chord progression which brings together a lovely melody—even when the lyrics dip a bit into the cliché (“Evidence of our trapped love”).

The real gem of the EP is “Humming,” an upbeat jam that pairs DeRemer’s subdued vocals with a very classic sounding guitar riff. It comes off like a Paul Westerberg solo joint, rocking while retaining a sense of vulnerability. With the song Mercer displays a real talent for crafting catchy hooks and good rhythms, helped by the fact that the band’s production value is terrific. While the lyrics occasionally slip into some overused themes, and the album’s political aspirations aren’t always clear, the band clearly has a great deal of potential. You have to be pretty good to rise above the local scene’s deluge of alt-country musicians, and Mercer is definitely getting there.

Mercer “Humming” (mp3)

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