Review Summary: Shimm shimminy
I’m a big fan of the recent crop of deathrock revivalists- groups such as Pleasure Leftists, Arctic Flowers, and Catholic Spit create the kind of no-nonsense gothic shit that doesn’t seem to be compromisingly geeky in any way. Mercury Girls is another such band. The Toronto foursome’s immediate comparison would be Pleasure Leftists, only with brighter, more melodic musicianship. “In Your Hands” and “Pale Shades of Green” are the two best examples of Mercury Girls’ sound, the former a shoegazey firecracker wave of melody and sultry vocals, the latter a slow-burner with multiple arrangements that express the seeds of significant hookwriting chops. Both tracks feature luscious guitar leads backed by a solid rhythm section- the drumming on this tape is especially noteworthy. Singer Grace Scott is a capable vessel with a voice that lends a lot of credence to the music as the tape rolls on. Even though the songs are longer than the twee-infused pop melodies of some of their peers, they never lose steam or overstay their welcome.
Pretty worthy demo that I wouldn’t be surprised to see pressed onto a 7” by a label such as Deranged.
