The golden days of punk rock are well behind us, but that won’t stop Merit Maker from trying to revive the genre to its former glory. Their latest release; “Better Days Ahead” blends alt-rock and pop-punk to craft an album that feels both fun and urgently energetic.
Merit Maker is a pet project of bassist and singer/songwriter Joe Stanton, a musician who has built his sound from the ground up. The great thing about Joe’s approach on his albums is that he doesn’t buy into that overproduced sheen you often see on modern records. Despite going really heavy on the electric guitars, the entire product feels refreshingly stripped down.
From the opening bars of “Set It Straight,” it’s clear that this record isn’t trying to reinvent punk rock, it’s trying to remind us why it mattered in the first place. In classic pop-punk style, he jumps right off the deep end at the start, transitioning into a softer melodic bridge, and ending with a heavy outro.
“The Stolen Hearts” leans heavily into a late-’90s sound reminiscent of Blink-182’s more brooding and reflective singles. The song’s signature 3-chord guitar riff is original while still feeling nostalgic, and you can’t help vibing to it as the track goes on.
“Around Again” is a full-on sprint inspired by Sum 41, with double-time drums and thick basslines giving it the feel of a mosh-pit staple. Yet even at their most aggressive, the tracks maintain a melodic clarity that’s often lost in contemporary punk.
I really liked the diversity of this album as tracks like “The Upsides of Downsides” take on a heavier, darker sound to contrast with the upbeat pop-punk entries. The guitar solos on this single, courtesy of Michael Layton, are especially powerful and demonstrate Merit Maker’s ability to effortlessly cross genres.
Thematically, Better Days Ahead stays close to the heart. It’s not a concept album, but there’s a loose emotional arc running through it: frustration, self-doubt, hope, perseverance. Stanton’s vocals are unvarnished, his tone somewhere between urgency and weariness, perfectly suited to the themes of burnout, recovery, and the search for personal momentum.
https://meritmaker.bandcamp.com
https://merit-maker.com/
In the end, Better Days Ahead is punk rock without the posturing. It’s an album for people who fell in love with punk because it was real, not polished: just music that meant something. And for those listeners, better days are already here.