Adam Wedd’s new EP MERCHANT MAN flips through the pages of a travel-stained diary full of late-night thoughts, open-road musings, and intimate stories, all set to an alt-rock soundtrack. From the get-go, with the high-octane opener “PEDAL to the METAL – apex version,” Wedd steers the listener into his world with chugging guitars and catchy “Ooo” harmonies. It’s all wide skies, messy love, and youthful defiance, sung in his breathy, husky voice, making our hearts move and touch us with delicacy.
Meanwhile, “Shipwrecks” takes things down a notch, floating in on soft piano as he sings with full passion and soul, softly and slowly. The slow build with delicate percussion and writhing violin hits a tender nerve. The way his voice trails in his husky grain is so swoon–worthy and makes you melt like butter. He sings, “You go your way, I’ll go mine/ Fading, falling to the ether.”
And just when you’re getting cozy in that melancholy space, “Madman” arrives with a different emotional punch. The beat hits harder, the flow gets sharper, and there’s a low-key swagger to it that totally works with the passion. Wedd sings passionately with compassion for the ex, completely aware of everyone’s feelings and complications while knowing what he wants. Blacksmith slides in seamlessly, raps effortlessly, and seamlessly moves from line to line.
On top of that, “Begin Again” closes out the set with a redemptive punch. The gravel in Wedd’s voice meets its match in his falsetto, and suddenly you’re misty-eyed, feeling what he’s feeling. He sings, “When I lose my way, can we try again someday?”
MERCHANT MAN might be Wedd’s debut, but it already sounds like someone who’s lived a few lifetimes on the road. Keep your eyes on him, he’s just getting started. As for me, I have already followed him.
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Review by: Naomi Joan