Clattermouuuth’s Music of The Week: ‘Angus’ By Merges

By Andrew Kohler

Welcome back to Clattermouuuth’s Music of the Week, curating Rockaway’s music taste one week at a time.

This week, I want to talk about an artist that I recently discovered: Merges, an R&B artist with an excellent voice. More specifically, I wanted to talk about her EP from 2024, “Agnus.”

I had no clue who Merges was until I saw an Instagram reel that used her song, “whatalife,” and I just had to look into this artist. She has a similar voice to SZA but with production reminiscent of the late Frank Ocean. That’s when I found “Agnus.”

The opening track, “stampede,” uses lyrics that feel vulnerable and aware: “You carry your pain well. Let me take some. I like you,” and “I know that I get impatient. But I mean well. Lemme show you.” These lyrics feel special because the speaker values this loved one for truly priceless qualities that are often missed in love songs like carrying one’s pain well. While the speaker is aware of why she likes this person, the speaker is also aware of why this person might not like her — she’s impatient.

I think the next song, “scrabble,” reveals why she’s so aware of the dynamics between her and her loved one. It’s because she can’t stop thinking about them. Lines like “Scrabble makes me think of you,” and “In my head you’re winning. I wonder what keeps you awake.” tells the listener that this speaker is in constant reflection and this reflection is what makes these lyrics so much more powerful than the average love song.

The reflective lyrics and lo-fi production are consistent throughout the EP and have not gotten old for me even though I’ve had it on repeat since I discovered it. I highly recommend that you check it out.