Infinite Youth fits in nicely between bedroom pop contemporaries like Gus Dapperton or Still Woozy, and chillwave pioneers like Toro y Moi and Washed Out. An early standout, ’Laps Around the Sun’ is a downtempo, off kilter single that fully embraces this side of his sound in a beautiful and deeply relatable manner. On the track he muses over the cyclical monotony of life, before celebrating that “everybody gets to enjoy the weekend”. These conflicting messages blur sincerity and irony when delivered in his soft, almost whispered voice reminiscent of Phil Elverum of The Microphones. This playful duality is reinforced on ‘American Parties’; on the track he utilises another cloudy and groovy backdrop to fantasise about partying in the States, though it feels less like Miley’s ‘Party in the USA’ and more like a ‘grass is always greener’ kind of thing. Whilst the track would play nicely at any number of parties the world over, its hidden sadness surfaces occasionally with somber lines like “can you be lonely with me?”

On ‘Canoe Song’, the shimmering electronic sound of the record thus far is stripped away, leaving Merk alone with just his thoughts and an acoustic guitar. Here his inspiration from heart-on-sleeve songwriters such as Elliot Smith and Daniel Johnston stands front and centre, the track is even more intimate than what has already been established on the record and it really feels like peering into his own therapeutic late night practice session.

After this we have ‘Happiness’, a song that manages to directly confront our current global climate whilst remaining timeless in its confrontation of ageing with poignant lyrical moments such as “all of our friends are sadder than they were last year”. Towards the back end of the track, the first hints at more grandiose elements begin to emerge. Here he subtly evokes a strong feeling of despair through a highly emotive string section reminiscent of the work of indie folk icons Neutral Milk Hotel. 

The final two tracks embrace all of the skills and elements developed over the course of the record in spectacular fashion. ‘But She Loves You’ emerges from a sad, sleepy slumber into a dance floor filling progressive house and disco infused bop, that embraces a hypnotic groove in a way a nu-disco band like Parcels might. Which takes us to the title track, album closer and mission statement of the record. Merk’s lyrics, as always, find a beautiful balance of optimism, pessimism and dreamy poetic musing. As the track develops, Merk builds the orchestral elements hinted at earlier on in the record, combining them with a choir-like chorus that smacks with the heavenly, grandiose melancholy of post-rockers Sigur Ros. But this isn’t an album to end on a distinctly sad note, as soon after we glide into eternity along a house influenced groove as the album title is repeated endlessly, infinitely. 

Elizabeth interviews Merk

E: What a strange joy it is to have new album on the way. How do you feel about putting new music out into the world?

M: It feels great! Well, there’s a mixture of feelings. I feel very proud of this thing I’ve made and happy that it’s out in the world. I also feel very tired and like a dry sponge haha. But mostly really great.

E: I love your song ‘Laps Around the Sun’, I really identify with birthday melancholy. What was your best birthday ever?

M: Thanks! Ooh, tough question. Maybe my 13th birthday, my friends and I were absolute pests and even though we were way too old, ironically had a McDonald’s party, we terrorised the whole place. Was fun.

E: Do you really want to know who God is? Do you have a spiritual practice?

M: I grew up in a religious household and as I transitioned into adulthood I really had to unpack a lot and figure out for myself what it is I believed. So that song, which started as a joke, became a genuine expression. So yes I wanted to know who God is for me and I do have a spiritual practice.

E: What is your ideal writing situation?

M: Being alone with a lot of time in a quiet, secure place.

E: If you could have made the soundtrack for any movie, what would it be?

M: I made a soundtrack last year! With my buddy Marlon Williams.

E: Do you always write from your own perspective? How much fantasy is involved in your writing?

M: No I don’t. I don’t really think of my music as simply biographical, like a diary for example. So the events that take place in these songs didn’t always happen, but I think the emotion comes from a real place. And if they are real moments, they’re often fantasised and exaggerated.

E: Let’s finish the song we wrote together someday? I just listened to it again and honestly I think it’s a hit.

M: I would love that! I think it’s a hit too! I’m coming over to Melbourne really soon actually now we have this Trans-Tasman bubble going!

Merk interviews Elizabeth

M: What is a moment in your music career that you’re proud of? A good song you wrote? Or special gig?

E: Sometimes it feels hard to access the memories of all the good things before 2020! I think my best moment lately is remembering that I like writing songs : )

M: I love the wonderful world of nature. A year and a bit on from releasing it, does it speak to you in new ways?

E: Thank you, that’s so nice. I haven’t listened to it in a little while but the last time I did I felt really sad for the version of myself that wrote the album. I think if I was not me and I was heartbroken now I would probably listen to that album.

M: What’s a good trick I can use if I’m feeling stuck with writing?

E; Sometimes when I’m stuck I turn on a the bad drum machine on my keyboard and it shakes things loose. Otherwise, just walk away? I never write well when I’m forcing it.

M: Do you suffer for your art? Do you think that sort of thing is necessary?

E: The other day someone I had just met asked me how I would make good music since I seemed so happy now. It was like she reached into my body and pulled out my biggest creative fear! I think I definitely used to make drama in my relationships because I thought that was real passion and real romance, and that those were the only things worth writing about. Now I don’t feel interested in hurting myself or others so I have something to write about and besides, enough bad shit has already happened so there is a lot of material there lol.

M: Tell me about your live band! Being stuck in NZ I haven’t been able to see you live yet, but it looks amazing from what I’ve seen online.

E:I have been so lucky to play with my wonderful band for the last two years and honestly I would not have made it through without them! They are talented, supportive and stunning. One of the most beautiful things about my band is that no one knew each other when we started playing together and now there are all these special different friendships that didn’t exist before. Nathalie, Alana, Elsie, Deanna, Caitlyn, Hannah <3 Also they are all in other great bands, check out them out: Dianas, Elsie Lange, Poppongene, Mystery Guest, Baby Velvet <3

M: From the outside it looks like Melbourne has a very special music community, or many music communities. Other than thanking you of-course, do you have special and supportive people around you we can partly thank for your music existing?

E: Yes Melbourne is a pretty special place for music. People who have directly helped me are the people like Lorrae (and the whole team at OGF), John Castle who produced my record and my band; but otherwise just all the bands and musicians that I’ve watched play since I started going to shows when I was 16: P

M: The path not taken: you never got into music, what are you doing with yourself?

E: There are so many paths all over the place! Who knows what I’m doing on the other side of the multiverse!!!!!!!!!!