Merit recall a more sprightly, melodic version of Rainer Maria, with a twist on their bright indie rock being that frontwoman Brenna Merritt actually sounds a bit like Hayley Williams. That means Arson Is for Lovers splits the difference between chugging, catchy songs and a bit more heart-worn edge.

Opener "Cut and Run" suffers from some weird imbalanced mix at the very outset, but it quickly settles in and then affirms itself as a bubbly pop-rock introduction. The title track adds a layer of well-integrated keyboard here and there.

Though some songs ("Mourning Dove," "Bring Us the Sun," "Tour Memoir" sort of) get a little ballad-esque and others drive forward more steadily, the crunchy, mid-to-uptempo way is one that works nicely for Merit (see "Hold Everything," "Blue Bedroom").

Overall, super solid effort. This is available as a free download, or if you're really into it, a nice screenprinted digipak.

DOWNLOAD
Arson Is for Lovers

VIDEO