Merit is from upstate New York and annoys the living fuck out of me. Sadly Merit wants to be Paramore. If my teenage daughter came home and said she wanted be in a band that sounded like Paramore, I'd cut her from the will. Which wouldn't mean that much to her anyhow, because she would obviously become a huge star and date someone from New Found Glory.
Merit is also grasping for that brass ring of the best girl fronted pop-rock band. Whelp, guys and girl of Merit you keep reaching for those stars because you aren't ever going to get off that second stage of Warped Tour if you keep this clamor up. Let's go point by point.
1) You write songs written a thousand times before. It's as if you went to Barnes & Noble and bought a book entitled, How to Write a Crap Pop Song and Influence Friends. Seriously, there isn't a note on Arson is for Lovers that hasn't been drilled into my skull from countless of other bands from your ilk. It's like hearing Michelle Branch songs with meatier riffs. Bon Jovi looks like a songwriter innovator next to you.
2) Brenna Merritt. Wait a doggone second here, you named the band after yourself? Girl, egos are never cute. Anyhow, you have a nice voice. You can hit enough notes on the register without getting too far ahead of yourself. However, you use every single cliché in the lyric book. From references to someone being far away to stars to voices being loud and clear. It's like you ravaged Livejournals of seventh graders and thought what they had to say was really deep.
3) You named your album Arson is for Lovers.
Anyhow, Arson is for Lovers is other lifeless pop-rock album from a band that wishes for greatness. What do I know? They might be your next Paramore. I can't stand Paramore. I don't even like radio friendly music and that's exactly what Merit's gameplan is. Arson is for Lovers is another CD for the sell heap.
If you want, you can download this album from their website for free.
