John Cale brings his passion for art rock into another decade, a rare gift of consistency carrying through Mercy. Opening with that defiance, the seven-minute eponymous track, is as grand a start as any. Collaboration heavy, Mercy is filled with just that. Merciful collaborations with the likes of Weyes Blood, Laurel Halo and Animal Collective. These moments are scattered throughout the solo pieces Cale offers, The Velvet Underground’s former member continuing his storm through atmospheric, artsy riffs. Mercy’s self-titled opening is utterly stunning. Gospel-like intonations and its post-Remain in Light Brian Eno production feel, the gorgeous strings, and the lush creativity is as consistent as could be hoped for. A sign of quality that lingers throughout Mercy.
Second track Marilyn Monroe’s Legs (beauty elsewhere), featuring Actress, is as conceptually strange and eerie as the fascinatingly strange title would suggest. To hear Cale continuously, consistently, provide new arrangements from track to track is the expected shock that comes with an innovator. Uplifting yet bleak, it is that stunning marriage of tone and style that Cale works most on this piece. That soothing backing vocal, the sultry nature of it, continues on Noise Of You. A little synth inflection toward the end of the track, and far lighter in tone than the previous tracks. It is that break up of tone that is necessary, though. One of the five tracks he does alone on this record, it should be noted that the best tracks are those that Cale collaborates with someone else on.
Demanding and well-thought-out tracks are constant for Cale and company. Mercy provides strong arrangements, lengthy tracks and a wonderful collaboration with Weyes Blood. Sylvan Esso’s collaboration on Time Stands Still feels far more electronic than the rest of the tracks, but that style is constant – it is just here that it is given time to define itself as a leading genre focus for Cale. A clear lament to Nico appears on the aptly titled Moonstruck (Nico’s Song), a string-heavy clash of beauty and discomfort. “Moonstruck junky lady, staring at your feet” crushes the optimism held up by those string sections, which take an echoed push through the latter stages of the song. It really is quite beautiful. It is a track that hopes to make peace, and Cale’s fundamental need to innovate makes it as touching as it is filled with awe of a great artist.
Cale’s ear not just for creativity and striking uniqueness is felt with the arrangements, the collaborations and the concept Mercy presents. Tracks like Everlasting Days (featuring some marvellous work from Animal Collective) feel like pieces of music that David Byrne and the creative scene that flows from him have tried and failed to perfectly capture. Cale does so with great grace and a soulful charting through these twelve tracks. Night Crawling continues that tremendous range of synth charm. Cale feels natural to those qualities, far away from the works he first began his solo career with. How far he has come is marked well, and touchingly so, on Mercy. Essential work from Cale, who delivers an album that manages to walk the line of innovation and reflection. It is sincere and quality, with mercy at its core. Crucial Tei Shi-featuring track I Know Your Happy is the conviction of that, the tracks that precede it warming up to that beautiful pay-off. Cale strikes through, as convincing as ever.
