Portland – Merchandise are desperately afraid of being put in a box. You may have already gotten this impression from the nightmarish cube on the cover of their third album, out this week and optimistically titled After The End. It seems that no one can quite put a finger on what (or who) these Tampa Bay rockers sound like. Some say The Smiths, others might say a less dramatic Cure. On my first listen, I’m picking up hints of My Bloody Valentine droning with the clean guitar melodies of Real Estate. Here’s something you won’t hear from other critics: we’re all right! (Yay!) There are many sections on After The End where you’ll find yourself saying “Oh! They sound like (another band) here!” This may sound very comforting, but few bands get far by emulating more successful acts (Creed anyone?). Luckily, the real magic of Merchandise comes in waves after taking a step back and admiring the work as more than a sum of its parts.
Once a feverish trio of punk rockers, Merchandise have evolved into a fully realized five-piece that has chosen to embrace pop as a natural progression rather than a corporate abomination. In fact, After The End is the band’s first full-length release under major indie label 4AD. There is a polished sheen to be heard across the record’s ten tracks, something that opener “Corridors” displays in unabashed grandeur. The timpani rolls and delicate chimes are a little much, but the song leaves plenty of mellow starting ground to kick off the album’s first single “Enemy.” Here we find the band’s most radio-friendly song to date, complete with reverb-laden guitar chopping and frontman Carson Cox’s rollicking take on a Morrissey pity party. One tremolo guitar solo later and I’m sold; this is the kind of rock music that gets you out of bed in the morning, quick to shed a little sunlight even when there’s none to be found.
More than once I found myself impressed with the record’s production, which is so often not the case on low-key releases such as this. “True Monument” features some glorious low-end guitar tones and heart-pounding classic rock tom fills. By the song’s end it has enveloped in onto itself, devolving into a trebly lo-fi shell that gives some hints to the band’s nostalgic longing for punk-era NY scene (notably the band has been on tour with Thurston Moore’s new band Chelsea Light Moving). “Telephone” is perhaps the weirdest song of the bunch, featuring telephone jingles and a myriad of oddball guitar textures that give it a zany, almost cartoonish vibe. Some might say that the record’s noisy textures mask what is essentially bare bones pop-punk; I wouldn’t disagree with them. What makes these songs stand out from the pack is their stylish commitment to vibrancy, to crafting a legacy lacking in both compromises and timidity.
After the End may not be a post-apocalyptic revelation, but it does mark the end of an era. The band’s Carson Cox calls the record an “epilogue” to the three-part saga that began with 2012′s widely praised Children of Desire. If this is the end of Merchandise as we know it, then let it be known that their swansong is perhaps their best yet. Full of emotional ups and down, crystalline guitar tones and innovative production, this record is definitely worth your time. Take this chance to break out of your own shell and try something with no definitive labels, no purpose other than to make you feel amazing. You’ll be glad you did.
Photo By Tim Saccenti
