This is the debut release from Scottish folk band Have Mercy Las Vegas. A strange name for a band that is rooted so much in the Celtic and folk traditions but I’m sure there is a story to tell around this choice. Recorded, mixed and produced by Matt Harvey at Maybank Studios in Glasgow and mastered by Tim Debney of Fluid Mastering (Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling), the eleven songs are played with a great energy and enthusiasm. With banjo, mandolin, harmonium, guitar, glockenspiel, ukulele combining into a heady mix, the sense of being swept along on a wave of energy is infectious.
Have Mercy Las Vegas are a six-piece troupe that has been part of the Scottish music scene since 2011. Their live performances have been earning them many new fans and friends with praise for their full-on approach and celebratory sound. Two years in the making, this debut has benefitted from their live circuit activities as the playing and the harmonies are tight and textured.
Barn Stomp does exactly what it says on the tin while Pappy, Bonnie & Clyde and Mind’s Made Up see the album really take off in a spirited crescendo of musical mayhem. Uke Ballad, Drinking Heavily and the title track are gentle acoustic songs that break the frenetic pace of the playing and give some space in the arrangements. An enjoyable debut that promises much for the future.