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Mercy Parker’s ‘Broken Road’ isn’t just for rockers

Release date: February 23rd, 2019

Dan Ray March 7, 20194 Comments
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Mercy Parker’s ‘Broken Road’ isn’t just for rockers March 7, 20194 Comments

Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

Photo courtesy of Mercy Parker

When I was 12 years old, I could often be found singing “Animals,” by Nickelback, at the top of my lungs, long before I really understood what phrases like “you’re beside me on the seat / got your hand between my knees / and you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze” really meant. My first concert was Nickelback, Daughtry, and Staind. I was, for better or worse, a fierce proponent of the 2000s mainstream-rock phenomenon.

While I could probably still recite “Animals” with a brief refresher, it’s been awhile since I’ve consistently listened to rock music. Since, you know, middle school, I’ve been waiting for a rock band to bring me back under its wing — a band that doesn’t solely rely on heavy guitar riffs and generic lyrics like “it feels like tonight.” (Chris, I love you; but, really, what does that mean?)

Enter Seattle’s own Mercy Parker, a four-piece rock group whose seven track album, Broken Road, dropped on all online platforms February 23rd.

The beautiful thing about this album is that it’s warm. Instead of being plopped down into a sea of overpowering textures that permeate every tune, Mercy Parker takes care to create space for the listener. Track one, “I’m Not the One,” definitely introduces a punchy album, but while the vocals and guitar parts have that rock grit, the drums are dry. Nothing is muddled together, and that allows you to go for the ride along with the band.

As with most albums, track two defines where we’re going. How similar is it to track one? Am I in for 30 minutes of ripping power chords, or is there more here? Broken Road’s second track, “Shores,” is not only an incredible departure from “I’m Not the One,” but is also, straight up, a wonderfully interesting song. Vocalist Chris Sloan shows off true chops; especially compared to track one, he dials back the heaviness of his vocal and really just sings. No effects; no wow-look-what-a-tough-rockstar-I-am; pure talent. He displays diversity all too needed in this genre.

More so, the melody of “Shores” listens more like a harmonic line than the main theme. It’s a compelling choice that pulls you through the song, feeling that groove. When guitarist Philip Sudore hits a powerful-but-somehow-soft guitar solo, you’re totally with it.

We move through “Suit Yourself” and “Great Escape” — probably the hardest hitting tracks on the album — the latter in which we get awesomely provocative lines like “I’ve walked these streets / blisters tearing my sole/soul.”

After another rager — “Friend or Foe” — Mercy Parker dials things back on “Broken Road.” A simple tune played with an acoustic guitar, this track proves once again that you don’t need power chords to create a powerful song. Sloan’s voice floats liltingly over Sudore’s gentle strumming. Extremely well placed after three tracks of hype, “Broken Road” reminds us of life’s tender moments.

Final track “I’m in Over My Head” beautifully captures both these tender moments and the heavier side of life, with an almost-country bent that’s smooth as gravy. The end of the track features masterful bass playing from Matt Mckay, consistently driving drums from Jase Ihler, and a solo from Sudore, while Sloan sits back. It’s a much-needed showcase of the musicians in the band that closes the album on a comforting, complete note.

In a scene that leans more towards EPs than full albums, it’s clear Mercy Parker knows how to curate a full-length. Broken Road ebbs and flows at all the right points. Each track stands on its own and also fits seamlessly into the album as a whole, creating a 30-minute listening experience that begs to begin again.

Broken Road

Broken Road
9.8

Cohesion

 10.0/10

Instrumentation

 9.6/10

Vocals

 9.6/10

Musicality

 9.8/10

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Raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, Dan discovered an early passion for singing, songwriting, and the arts as a whole. She got her BA in English and music at the University of Michigan, where she reported for the school’s paper, The Michigan Daily. She worked as a Senior News Reporter on the government beat, transitioned to arts writing, and eventually became the managing editor of the social media department. She moved to Seattle in 2017. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic and discouraged about the lack of press surrounding Seattle’s music scene, Dan made the decision to turn Dan’s Tunes, a fully fledged music journalism website focused on showcasing the Seattle area’s musicians, into its own startup. There’s so much music happening in the city that spawned Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix — among others — and Dan’s Tunes is determined to find and expose those outstanding acts. The goal is to have satellites in every major US city, uplifting diverse and compelling voices and helping music communities thrive. In 2020, Dan was featured in the Seattle Times’s year-end music critic poll. Other than her musical endeavors (singing, playing ukulele, and auditioning for American Idol four times before the age of 24) Ray is passionate about food and education around the American food system, and she’s also a large proponent of eliminating the stigma around mental health. Ray loves cats, especially her own, who is named Macaulay Culkin (but she’s a lady).

4 comments

  1. Hey Dan, fun review! And thanks for coming out to the Engel’s Pub gig for DreamWreck awhile ago. Great to have you and Alex there.

    I love that Chris Sloan, big talent.

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