Have Mercy and Somos are two bands who really impressed me on the indie/emo/alt-punk scene over the past couple years. Have Mercy's been quite busy following 2013's The Earth Pushed Back and last year's A Place To Call Our Own. Heavy touring as well as a Daisyhead split's kept them up and about and their two tracks here really give a great lead-in for those who've never heard them before. Same can be said for Somos who continue to show so much potential since 2014's Temple of Plenty.

Baltimore's Have Mercy killed it when I heard "Let's Talk About Your Hair" in 2013. Last year's album wasn't as gruff as I wanted and it did feel too-polished at times but again, great writing and amazing instrumentation kept them well afloat in the game. They churn out an acoustic of "Two Years" here and it's one of their best jams to date. Quite a treat for a fan like me. Brian Swindle's vocal range (in its cracking mannerism) fits acoustics so well and then jumps up a rung when "Somebody's Baby" hits. Pretty great Jackson Browne cover. Fluid with a lovely indie rock feel.

Boston's Somos offload an acoustic as well in "Domestic" - from their 2014 LP and again it's a great choice. Charming to the bone. The new jam they also drop in "Streets Upon Streets" is mathy a la Minus The Bear but will inevitably draw comparison to Braid's aesthetic as has been the case with most of Somos' body of work. Pop-punk workouts done right. While they too have been on a hectic touring run, there's been a break scheduled for some much-needed time off to deal with personal issues within the band, but let's hope these are ironed out quickly. Because these guys, just like Have Mercy, are bands that if they're under your radar, you need to get into.

Big parts of the new wave moving forward in my opinion. Would have loved just a track extra from each band but still, what's on tap is a neat, accessible snapshot into bands that have a mainstream appeal but no doubt, cut their teeth pretty well on the underground.