I don’t usually review albums by bands this obscure, but the Merry Rockers are one of those brilliant bands no-one has ever heard of, so I thought they deserved some light shone on them. They’re a great live band, to be sure, but apart from a couple of outstanding songs, their first album, Fruit of Life, was something of a disappointment (even the band doesn’t like it very much). I’m glad to say, though, that they more than make up for that with the quality of their follow-up, which could hold its own with some of the best mainstream Pop albums I’ve reviewed.
Frontwoman Marissa Lelogeais has a truly beautiful voice, slightly reminiscent of Liz Callaway’s sound but much warmer. More than that, she sings with an incredible nuance and depth of feeling; you really get the impression that she’s lived everything she’s talking about. She sparkles on the upbeat songs and breaks your heart on the more bittersweet ones. While the album is credited to the band as a whole, there’s no question that Lelogeais is the heart and soul of the project.
That’s not to say that she hasn’t picked out a superb backing combo; these musicians are more talented than the members of plenty of vastly more famous bands out there. Of course, I’ve heard most of these songs several times at the band’s live sets, and the guitar, bass and drum work from Lelogeais’ regular bandmates on this album is as superb as always. That said, while the album versions of these songs are not as spontaneous as the live renditions, the richer and thicker levels of instrumentation do help bring out the songs’ sheer emotional impact.
“You’ve Made Bank” and “Life’s Jubilee” are irresistible, joyous classic Reggae tunes that show off the band’s instrumental chops beautifully. “Love Is” and “Hold Me” are two of the most ecstatically beautiful love songs you’ll ever hear, ranking with the most romantic of the current decade’s mainstream hits. “Good Friends” is an equally inspiring ode to old friendships, with a simplicity almost reminiscent of the best of classic Sesame Street. Granted, not everything is quite at this level (“Social Media Rap” admittedly doesn’t represent Lelogeais at her absolute best), but when 90% of the material is sublime, it seems difficult to generate any plausible complaints.
On top of the generally superb quality of the music, this record is a genuine Concept Album, like Taylor Swift’s 1989, telling the story of Lelogeais’ hard-won journey toward self-acceptance. After the band’s introductory theme and the delightfully optimistic scene-setter “You’ve Made Bank”, the story really begins with the beautiful “Meteor Shower”, where she sings about the heartbreak that initiated the album’s emotional content. This story closes with two of the most inspirational songs in modern music, “The Inclusion Song” (about the importance of accepting others) and “Embrace It” (about the importance of accepting yourself). Lelogeais’ performances on these last two songs are the most moving on the album, and they really do feel like a resolution of the issues the album as a whole brings up.
This album will probably go mostly unnoticed by the general public, but it is every bit as good as any number of albums by acts a billion times more famous, and it deserves just as much acclaim. And if this review inspires even a few people to go out and buy it, then I will consider the work I did here well worthwhile.