humblebrag records - Austin Town Hall

More New Music from Merk

March 18, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Since stumbling upon Merk earlier this year, I’ve just been super into what he’s putting together for the forthcoming Infinite Youth LP. On a certain level, this new single feels the most accessible; it’s definitely brandishing a really polished pop appeal, something that gets your feet shuffling. But, while you can tap your toes, there’s this subtlety that I’ve really grown to enjoy, a little bit of patience and refined pop spins. Weirdly, I can see myself sweeping the house, then doing a nice little smooth spin with broom in hand, pulling it in as my stand-in microphone to shred the chorus for my wife and daughter. I’m your no-shame pop fan; grab the LP on April 9th via Humblebrag Records.

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Merk Shares Laps Around the Sun Video

February 25, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

A few weeks back I shared a tune from New Zealand’s Merk, a tune I proclaimed to be the best of no-pop. Here is the artist again, with a new single and the official announcement of his debut Infinite Youth. It’s a tune that sort of hangs on this slight balance between brooding introspection and blooming joy. I just love the way there’s this huge restraint in his approach, holding tight to to the song’s central pop force, but even with pop sensibility and that warm glow, there’s never an eruption, never a climactic rise; it makes you anxious in the best way, and while it might not deliver that hook, the way it keeps you on edge is brilliant. The new LP drops on April 9th via Humblebrag Records.

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Slinky Pop Tune from Merk

January 28, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I seem to have arisen from my funk of yesterday, so I’m sliding into this clever pop ditty from New Zealand’s Merk. We had no wave, but this feels like no-club pop; it’s got these little flourishes of club beats and dance floor ready notes, but they’re pulled way back, almost as if the song moves in slow-motion. Still, you can’t hide a natural hook, which is offered via the chorus and those little synth stabs in the far off distance. Just really enjoying the fact that I haven’t heard a whole lot like this, like dance music you’re not sure you know how to dance to. It’s okay, let your body do the work.

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