Originally hailing from Vashon, a small island near
Seattle, NMERCER was raised on the expected fare from that region, citing
influences like Joan Osborne and Alice in Chains alongside more eclectic
choices like the Pharcyde, Beastie Boys, The Doors, Björk, Easy E, NWA, and Too
$hort. A move to Los Angeles found her eventually searching out and moving to
South Central due to the more affordable rent and stumbling upon a new
community of friends and artists.
“For the first time since I moved to LA, I felt like
I was part of a community,” she shares. “The guys on the block were all rappers
or musical in some way or another. They’d would bring by sick beats and ask me
to sing hooks on them.”
Soon, in moments of privacy, NMERCER took to writing
her own songs, a new experience for the artist.
“It was the first time I wrote music where I felt
like I had a sound and voice. I think it came out real because I made those
songs for no one but myself,” she explains.
Those experiences and those songs have fueled a
burst of creativity in the artist and she’s released a rapid fire set of releases
with her self-titled debut, a remix album, and the Crossroads EP. Those recordings have found her enjoying favorable
comparisons to artists like MIA, Missy Elliott, Ke$ha, and Gwen Stefani, and the
Crossroads EP gives a good indication
why.
Produced by Justin Lassen, who’s done remixes for artists
like Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, Apocalyptica, and Evanescence, the EP
features four songs of NMERCER’s signature style. That style is a combination
of hip hop grooves, electro-pop vibes, and plenty of EDR fills, all informed by
the artist’s versatile vocals.
The title track kicks things off with plenty of
electronic-fueled distortion, kicking programmed drums holding the beat while
NMERCER drops her flow, her delivery somewhat slow and dreamy as her vocals mix
things up with some added effects. The lyric is an encouraging one, the protagonist
of the song standing at a crossroads and making the decision to push ahead and
make a change.
“Steal It” keeps the positive vibes rolling as the
artist sings, “Move/Dance/Now’s the
chance/Go/Hard/Let down that guard/You’re in the spotlight/C’mon, steal it”
while surrounded by an electronica-infused sonic backdrop that flows into a
full-fledged radio-ready jam. NMERCER’s vocals are in full effect, the swelling
music only giving her more energy while “Why U Gotta B So Fine” is something of
a disappointment. True, the track does have a Ke$ha feel but after hearing the
artist’s solid vocals on the preceding tracks, her nasal delivery and subpar
lyricism just leaves one wanting.
Thankfully, NMERCER’s final track “DB” steps in and
rights those wrongs. Sultry, sexy vocals and an old school feeling jam,
complete with huge bass notes that propel the track forward, buoyed by a bright
horn section in the chorus give the track bonus life. Singing of dropping a
lover, the artist brings a sense of playfulness to the song, her rhyming legit
and infused with a smile.
All in all, NMERCER’s Crossroads EP showcases a young artist who’s bursting at the seams
with talent and has the potential to break out into the big time. Granted,
there’s still work to be done but with NMERCER’s creative output and her star
shining bright, the sky’s the limit for this promising new act.
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