Merit Maker is the solo project of Joe Stanton, a bassist and songwriter from Philly. The project started as a way to make music without having to deal with the clashing personalities that a full band can often have. This album features Mitchell Layton on guitar and Blaise Rantanen on drums.

This album is an absolute blast to listen to. I’m a complete sucker for punk music, and this album hits that spot magnificently. A unique thing about this album is it is completely clean. Punk music without curse words is kind of odd, but you don’t miss the profanity here at all.

The instrumentation of this album is also fantastic. The riffs punch you in the face, but in the best possible way. I know they make me want to pick up a guitar and play along. The bass absolutely rips on this album too. Unfortunately, I’m a crap bass player, so trying to figure this out by ear might be a little to much for me to handle at this point.

The message behind this album is also super positive and fun. It mentions how while days are dark now, that they will get better. This is a message that we need now more than ever with all of the bull crap going on in the world. So cheers to Joe Stanton and Merit Maker for putting some more positive music out in to the world.

Now it’s time to talk about my favorite tracks on the album. After spending the last week listening to this album about three or four times I have to say that my favorite track is “Roads Ahead”. The opening riff sucks me in every time, and the harmonies on this track are just amazing. Lines like “Where do we go from here? It used to be so clear” are super relatable to me personally as a recent college graduate. The instrumental section immediately following that line is just amazing too. Whenever this song comes on I just can’t help but bob my head along (Which has gotten me some odd looks in the parking lot of the call center I work in, WORTH IT!).

Another thing I really appreciate about this album is the fact that there are no hidden meanings here. Merit Maker says what they mean, and means exactly what they say. As someone who really has to be in the mood to sit and dissect a track with all sorts of hidden meanings and easter eggs, it’s really refreshing to be able to turn on an album after a long day and know exactly what a band is talking about.

Overall, if you like punk, or pop-punk, you will love this album. It provides anything you could want from a punk album (Unless you absolutely need your music to have swearing haha). From kicking riffs, to great vocals and killer harmonies, Merit Maker definitely earned a new fan with “Better Days Ahead”.

Check out more Merit Maker below!

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