Have Mercy’s new album might be entitled NUMB, but by the time the final notes of the closing track ring out, it’ll have you leaving anything but. Marking their first full-length album since 2019’s The Love Life, NUMB is an emotionally vulnerable ten track release that will not only remind fans why they fell in love with Have Mercy to begin with, but also proves that the band has been growing along with them all these years.
Clocking in at just over half an hour in length, NUMB might seem short, but the album is so packed to the brim with all of the grit and emotion that makes up a fantastic Have Mercy record that it feels much longer. Kicking off with the punchy “Alive”, the the band quickly sets the tone for the songs to follow in a sing-along worthy melancholic soon-to-be fan favorite as frontman Brian Swindle admits, “It’s hard to say I miss you and come back home / and I can’t make the same mistake.” The songs that follow the hard-hitting opener only continue to weave a stunning story of missteps, healing, forgiveness and eventually, self-love and acceptance.
Speaking about the album, Swindle said, “Lyrically, the record had no choice but to be influenced by my sobriety, new marriage, and repairing / disconnecting from relationships with people,” and it’s easy to hear how much his and the rest of the band’s own personal journeys have impacted this album, and for the better. While maybe not as explosive or energetic as some of their previous releases, NUMB hits hard where it counts and finds the band exploring more tender, thoughtful songwriting while still leaning into their roots in tracks like “Middle” and “I Can’t Stay”.
There’s a continuous thread that runs throughout NUMB as well, as we ride along with Swindle on his own personal journey. The upbeat yet longing, “Hey” is driven by the question, “Is there any reason why you can’t just say you love me again?” which is answered in the following tender love song, “Friday”, finding Swindle proclaiming, “I’m in love with you again”. Then there’s the sparse acoustic track, “Big Surprise,” in which he admits, “I know I’m desperate for love, I just need you / I’m sorry I can’t be anybody but me,” only to realize “I don’t wanna be anybody else other than me,” two songs later in “Sick Of It”.
Unsurprisingly, the strongest moments on NUMB are the ones that find Brian Swindle wearing his heart on his sleeve (which in retrospect, is practically the entire album). These ten songs not only find the band sounding solid and confident, but also give fans something that they’ll easily be able to connect with, making it well worth the wait and the emotional labor that clearly went into it.