Modern Merchant

Brooklyn's Modern Merchant is made up of John Parson, Jesse Stanford, and Sydney Weiss. Blending rich, wavering vocals with thumping drums and big guitars, new single "Be That As It May" is the latest off their forthcoming EP Virtues, and follows up their folky first single "Bucolic." I was really struck by the blend of sounds on this track. Bringing together a full range of tones and styles, the culmination of wild, distorted garage guitars, a deep, bluesy voice, and the contrasting verses and chorus serve to create something really interesting, and, while not exactly new, completely fresh. I love the guitars, and the tribal percussion anchoring the full track down. But the vocals are what truly stand out, showcasing a tonal range, strength, and dramatic delivery that grabs my attention from start to end.  Virtues comes out this August 28.