A New Alchemy
Mule Kick, 2026
9/10
The Nashville husband and wife duo of Matthew and Eleese Meschery, as Brand New Heartache they’re versed in both Americana and indie-pop, and together with an all star cast they flesh out 12 authentic tracks.
The upbeat pace and flowing melodies of the title track opens with Michael Urbano’s thumping drums alongside the Meschery’s warm voices and punchy delivery, and “Montreal” follows with Kyle Caprista handling drums via the intimate appeal and dreamy presence.
Entering the middle, “The Company We Keep” enlists Ted Precchi’s bass that suits James Deprato’s lively banjo which complements the sing-alongs, while “Raise The Shade” benefits from Jimmy Wallace’s keys and Sarah Ailli’s backing vocals for the rich landscape that nearly touches on gospel.
“Younger Us” and “Someone Else” exit the listen. The former is a bare moment that places Matthew Szlachetka on guitar and Mitchell Cardenas on bass and builds into a smooth, rootsy moment, and the latter recruits Alice Rose’s strings for the poetic and scrappy finish.
Sometimes anthemic and other times romantic, Brand New Heartache harmonize in a way that you won’t soon forget, and the swirling guitars from Deprato and clever keys from Bruni draw us in from beginning to end.
Travels well with: The Far West- Everything We Thought We Wanted; Joselyn & Don- Lost And Found Highway