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Remember earnest, meat-and-potatoes rock? We’re talking about adequately catchy tunes sung by guys with just the right touch of soul in their voices, over rising and falling tides of slightly crunchy guitars – with occasional strains of acoustic six-strings and light twang for good measure. Edwin McCain has specialized in that genre, with up-and-down success – since the ‘90s – the last time he could count on having much chart impact. For those listeners who view this sound as the aural equivalent of comfort food, Mercy Bound will taste just fine. The best tunes here are penned by others: Anders Osborne’s “The Lucky One,” a beautiful ballad of survival, features Warren Haynes’ tangy slide guitar, and Mark Addison’s slow-churning title track simmers meaningfully in all of the right places.