Cale-heads will know what I mean when I say that Mercy, the new John Cale album, sounds like "The Soul of Carmen Miranda" as a descriptive shortcut. That song, a bonus track on the CD of Cale's masterful Words for the Dying (1989), was a lush, layered confection. The tracks here on Mercy are not necessarily as lush (though some are), but they are layered. Layered in terms of vocals too, I should add, since the Domino release features a wealth of collaborators on some cuts.
While the "Noise of You" and the title number (with Laurel Halo) are warm and enveloping, with some of Cale's distinctive version of what constitutes as soul music (as in music from/for the soul), "Marilyn Monroe's Legs" (featuring Actress) is more unsettling. The vocals are accessible, though they seem to be hovering out of reach, while the backing music suggests those enormous chasms of sound favored by His Name is Alive. "Out Your Window" is more direct, a rage against the crazies outside the door, while "Moonstruck (Nico's Song)" cuts to the heart with string patterns and some of Cale's most vulnerable vocals in ages. These remain the highlights of the record for this listener, with the collaborations with familiar artists interesting in new, different ways.
Of these duets (or what have you), "Story of Blood" with Weyes Blood is superb, a natural sonic marriage of like-minded talents, while "Everlasting Days" with Animal Collective allows Cale to indulge his penchant for discordant composition. Not a lot of this album pushes the envelope in the same way, though that's fine too. Mercy succeeds by creating a sustaining vibe that Cale and his partners massage and tweak over the course of the dozen tracks. It's a headphone record, as they used to say in my day, and it's one where the layers and layers of keyboards, guitars, strings, samples, and treated vocals conjure a mood that's frankly intoxicating. When John Cale sings, his voice is like a bell heard at night at sea. It's a steady, familiar presence, no matter how the song around him is spinning or swirling. In that sense, this is a highly recommended release.
Mercy by John Cale is out on Friday via Domino.
[Photo: Madeline McManus]