Upped by Dr. Castrato and thanks!
AllMusic Review by Johnny Loftus
Every second of God Protects Fools sounds like an urgent newsflash from Mercy Rule's trampled heart. This is due in large part to Heidi Ore's desperate, breast-beating vocal delivery, but it helps that husband Jon Taylor's
punk-inspired guitar keeps slashing into distorted, gorgeous melodies
at nearly every turn. Opening anthem "My Mouth" seems to begin as loose
rock & roll parts banging around in a tub. The bass is muddy, the
cymbals too trebly, and a one-note guitar riff cries for companionship.
But then Ore
leads the suddenly unified band into the chorus with just one rise and
fall of her voice, and channels like mad the rage and personal anguish
of Mia Zapata and the Gits.
"I Am...I Said" proves just as furious, with its finalistic chorus
statement and double-tap snare, while "We Know" is a wistful rumination
on rock band struggle until Ore screams "Why does it have to be me?" and you feel like buying all of Mercy Rule's merch just to make their Midwestern tour worth the grief. God Protects Fools can't always coast on intensity alone. "Summer" drifts towards the Toadies'
less inspired side, while the lover's spat of "Pale" can't quite
assemble its pounding drum fills and rambling guitar peels into an
effective statement. Luckily, "Time of Day" channels the same he
said/she said rap into the raucous alt rock statement. "Everybody's got a
friend" Ore screams, her voice cracking, "Who's gone totally insane." Mercy Rule
might be accused of being too zealous, of heaving too much brazen
honesty into its exploding grain elevator of punk revivalist fury. But
if that's the only mark against them, their heart is definitely in the
right place.
Tracklist
| 1 | My Mouth | |
| 2 | Hit Me | |
| 3 | I Am I Said | |
| 4 | We Know | |
| 5 | Summer | |
| 6 | I Declare | |
| 7 | Pale | |
| 8 | Time Of Day | |
| 9 | Dare Me | |
| 10 | God Protects Fools |