Have Mercy Las Vegas will tantalise us with their storytelling skills and imaginative rabbit holes. It is intriguing to see a band go through such a magnanimous jump. Since their 2014 album That’s Life, the band releases their first full album. This one is called Light and Shade.
There are so many layers of sound that the band explore that make them so cinematic. We were drawn like moth to flame, feeling the strumming textures merging with the electric. Vocals and lyrics draw you to the essence, creating enigmatic visuals while always aligning with the melody. Vanity Gate is the perfect opening to an album like this, an overview to the place you’re visiting.
In the plane of the pleasantries, you get Namaste, a greeting welcome in Sanskrit. The jangling chord progression and harmonics are what drew me to this song. The lack of percussion is beautiful to listen to. Like one of my favourite indie bands, The Paper Kites, this band brings their individual sound in their music as well. It is impressive to note how the band creates such textural play, in different planes. This is all using a minimal incision of instruments, all complementing to the stellar style of Have Mercy Las Vegas.
Formsby’s Smile continues the joyous smile the band can bring with their music. There is a flurry of instrumental ecstasy the band enjoys when they’re not delivering thoughtful lyrics. It is the core of a band that enjoys playing on stage, making music and feeling the kind of structure the music makes with intuition. There is a spectrum of feelings that they get into in these songs. The mysterious hop comes with Boon Step, where you can feel the darker undertones in the lyrical and minor chord progressions. This is the pergola virtual image you can witness, the light and shade projection. The immediate contrast is in She Looks Portuguese, a sweet song with a foam like lightness.
If they’re leaning on minimalism, they ensure the lyrics take the treasure. If the band gets into an all out jam, then the vocals refrain. It is this dynamic play that makes Have Mercy Las Vegas such an interesting discovery as a band. It is also what makes you wonder what art reflecting life is supposed to feel like.Â
I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling of songs like Hold Tight as well. The band can seriously consider writing soundtracks for movies. As for the album, Scrapper (2023) is a great Brit indie movie for a soundtrack like this. You can check out their album Light and Shade above, and follow the band for more music that is to come. It is a stellar return for a band that dances with the dynamics.