As the majority of you charming hipsters would know Oh Mercy is the band of indie rockers who reside in Melbourne and make some catchy tunes, and after a three year break have released a gratifying new single Sandy, that’s all about, you guessed it, falling for a girl, and wanting her close, real close!
She may not be sporting a leather catsuit, but Sandy is still a tasty offering of what Alexander Gow and the Oh Mercy crew have up their sleeves.
When it first came to light that a new single was on the way, I was hoping for something ingenious and peculiar, mind-blowing and inventive, but what I got wasn’t that. Sandy is a song shrouded with mystery, sexy male vocals that scream ‘boy band fans, love me!’ and a melody that sounds strikingly similar to a profusion of indie songs by indie bands trying to make something of themselves. It’s a crowd pleaser, a song that could easily get you dancing in your car seat at 9am whilst you listen to triple J, and having a drunken boogie around your kitchen after a long night of partying, but will it have a lasting affect? I doubt it.
Sandy is the kind of song every teenage girl would dream of playing whilst they drive under a tunnel at midnight with their potential new boyfriend, or could doubtlessly have been featured on the soundtrack for Jennifer’s Body, which may be due to the kindred vocals of No Country front man Ryan Levine and Oh Mercy vocalist Alexander Gow.
Despite the lack of individuality in regards to melody, I’ve began to grow rather fond of Gow’s lyrics originally written as a mock version of Iggy Pop’s Candy. Once the tedious tune sets in, and you begin to listen deeply to the words being sung, profound emotion can thankfully be heard, “What was daddy’s name and mamma, why you so ashamed? I’d rather be dead, than to be alone again, I’ll never have no friend except Sandy”.
It’s evident that Gow’s true talent lies within his ability to write thought-provoking lyrics that could ultimately, with the assistance of his band, who I do admit, play their instruments damn well, see them shoot straight past a ton of indie rockers on the scene, who think mixing the concept of a ‘hot gal on their couch’ with a random bunch of bubblegum riffs is the way to get people listening… oh, wait.
Oh Mercy is releasing an album in the ‘next few months’ and I’m looking forward to it. Gow’s songwriting abilities truly have a chance to shine on their next LP, and I can already predict an abundance of party favourites, and ‘cry along to in your room’ tracks, but is that a bad thing? Not at all.
Whether their upcoming record leaves a mark on music history, or fades into the forever evolving line of indie rock releases, even to raise a smile, or a laugh, or to give someone a few moments of happiness on their way to work, is remarkable enough. So I applaud Oh Mercy, and not because they’re the greatest band of 2015, but because they’re a skilled group of individuals who can give the rest of us beings a few minutes of fun, in the most innocent way possible. Plus the cover art for Sandy is the snazziest thing I’ve seen all day!
Speaking of snazzy the band released the accompanying music video for the single on March 23 and it is a rather morbid, very pink affair. Featuring gorgeous girls in 70s dresses, a splendid guitar, and some great choreography it is highly recommend to have a little look-see at it, because if anything it makes the song seem 1,000 times more interesting. Which was probably thanks to the dresses, they were pretty darn fabulous.
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