"My back against the floodgates / Trudging through the mud of my mind / Sipping on day old coffee / Wondering what else I’ve left behind..."
The genre bending indie rock hammer of "God Forsaken", by Nashville based Mel Bryant & The Mercy Makers, is a phenomenal artful exercise in sonic cross pollinations. Anchored by an incredibly earnest vocal countenance spouting confessional lyrics (full of gut punches and mosh worthy smiles) the song feels seeded by country rock, folk indie, 80's new wave power pop, emo, post grunge alt rock and filtered through a progressive kind of cow punk lens. I feel all that and you might feel that kind of mish moshiness but with different inherent influences to you. That, in and of itself, makes it more than special. The thing is, this feels less of a shape shifting piece of art but more of a kind of freewheeling distillation of a lot of things all at once, like the sonic ride doesn't feel like stepping into a lot of different rooms but more watching a myriad of sonic emotions in one room.
The musicality is top shelf and Mel Bryant's vocals are so unique and endearing in the way she lays out the narrative of this track, a very personal narrative. This is what Mel has to share about this track.
"God Forsaken is a song about therapy. it's about living in a state of monotonous repetition, of wondering whether it's you or everyone else that's insane for living in the way we all do, carrying on like it's normal that the world's on fire and we still go to our jobs and drink our coffees and watch our little videos on our phones and listen to our little songs and move on. Therapy saved my life by helping me to parse between the validity and the self effacing nature of those thoughts - it also helped me identify that i didn't just have generalized anxiety or depression, but a secret third thing (It's OCD, in case you're wondering). So that's God Forsaken, in a nutshell. and i hope it helps! "
This track is so artful and so full of surprises. I found myself being touched emotionally at numerous times and when the track becomes a potent indie rock banger, chunky and proggy, you feel yourself lift off the ground (or at least up on your toes). Apart from Mel's potent vocals and anchoring bass, Conor McCarthy’s lead guitar break is ridiculous feeling gloriously 80's punky with telltale signs of power pop and rockabilly like an amalgam of Josh Hook, Elliot Easton, Edward Bazalgette (to me- off the top of my head) and Brendan Bird's drumming is slamming while swinging in the pocket so well.
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
"God Forsaken" pulls inspiration from Mel Bryant’s experience navigating SSRIs and NDRIs prescribed for anxiety, depression, executive dysfunction, and OCD. At its core, "God Forsaken" captures the exhausting reality of forcing yourself out of bed, pushing forward despite feeling like your world - both internal and external - is collapsing. Some days, it’s about survival, clinging to daily routines to keep the panic at bay. Other times, it’s about dismantling old beliefs and rebuilding from the ground up, finally taking accountability and forging a new way through.
[Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers formed in 2017 when Mel joined Philadelphia-born best friends Conor McCarthy and Brendan Bird.]
[Conor providing thunderous electric guitars and Brendan supplying ocean-liner grooves, lifelong guitarist Mel was forced (as many are) into picking up the bass to complete the power trio - a role she has lovingly embraced as a rare bassist/lead singer.]
[In their barn-turned-home studio nestled amidst an East Nashville backyard garden, Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers record and produce their music in humble solitude. Their debut singles “I Love You I’m Sorry” and “Never Thought” led to the band’s debut album release in 2020.]
[Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers are excited to present their sophomore full-length release Every God Forsaken Morning, coming Summer 2025.]
Check out the studio version of "God Forsaken" and the LIVE version as well..
-Robb Donker Curtius
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THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.facebook.com/melbryantofficial
https://www.instagram.com/melbryantmusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/504bzeQSGBk6rSsfrPjjvw
https://x.com/melbryantmusic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3O4j1f8FCc
https://melbryantmercymakers.bandcamp.com/track/god-forsaken
Nashville based, NYC & Philly bred band Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers met in Miami and moved together to Nashville to follow their dreams of bringing women who rock back to the radio. As diverse in tastes as they are well traveled, bassist and bandleader Mel Bryant sends visceral vocals and no nonsense lyrics atop guitarist Conor McCarthy’s prodigious prog rock riffs, Aaron’s atypical indie rock rhythm guitars, thunderous grooves provided by Bonham disciple Brendan Bird. They draw inspiration from timeless rockers like Fleetwood Mac (with similarly intertwining band dynamics; Mel and Conor have been dating for over 5 years) and Led Zeppelin, as well as modern muses like Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, and St Vincent.
Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers, indie rock, proggy rock, alt rock, art rock, country rock, folk rock, 80's rock punches, "God Forsaken", studio and LIVE version, post punk, classic rock,
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