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John Cale - Mercy (Album Review)

Writer's picture: JT ElderJT Elder

CREDIT: Marlene Marino

Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale has had a long and successful career spanning 60 years, and at 80 years old, he's shown that he's not quitting anytime soon. Known for having a very eclectic and experimental music style consisting of chamber pop, post-punk, art rock, and more, Cale recently returned from a 10-year absence this month with a new album, titled MERCY.


"If you go and end up in a corner that you feel uncomfortable in, something will happen and you'll come up with a solution. That's kind of my mantra."

This time, MERCY is an eerie R&B/dream-pop combination laced with orchestral elements. It also features a legendary ensemble of collaborators, such as Animal Collective, Fat White Family, Weyes Blood, Actress, and more. Despite his age, Cale's voice still remains recognizable. The album contains a haunting apocalyptic theme, both in lyrical content, and music.





The 12-track album opens with the title "MERCY" featuring Laurel Halo. Halo's mesmerizing sound design provides support to Cale's desperate pleas to be lifted up and shown mercy.



"Wolves getting ready/They're gonna buy more guns/Rolling around in the snow and the mud/Lights exploding above"


This track sets the tone for the rest of the album, which continues to remain uneasy, apocalyptic, and eerie. After 7 minutes, "MERCY" transitions into another somewhat lyrically cryptic 7-minute track (this time, an ode to Marilyn Monroe), "MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (beauty elsewhere)", which opens with various robotic bleeps that continue throughout the song along with rustling sounds.



"Seven times seven and forty-nine/The cube of nine seven three/Seven times seven and forty-nine/The cube of nine seven three"


After this track is the synth-heavy and desperate "NOISE OF YOU". In this track, Cale longs to hear the voice of a particular person again. Compared to the previous 2 tracks, "NOISE OF YOU" is an easier listen, as it's not as intense.



"Bells ring out, the snow falls/The choir is finishing its song/Your footsteps on the stairs, meet at the River House/To say goodbye, to say goodbye"



Following this track is one of MERCY's more popular songs (at least, according to Spotify), "STORY OF BLOOD", which features Weyes Blood's Natalie Mering. It opens with a more bluesy intro consisting of Cale's piano playing, before transitioning into a SZA-esque duet between the two with elements of heavenly dream pop. The lyrics talk about being let down by the human body in the "story of blood".



"This is the story, the story of blood/It starts in the heart/It moves all around, wakes you in the morning/And brings you down"



After "STORY OF BLOOD" is the 5th track, "TIME STANDS STILL" (featuring Sylvan Esso), which has much more apocalyptic lyrics. In a way, it's like a sequel to 1973's "Paris 1919", (considered a John Cale classic). Both songs discuss the collapse of Europe, with the Church coming to the rescue. "TIME STANDS STILL" in its entirety centers around environmental chaos. It's happening around us right now, and Cale reminds us of that in the final verse.



"It's Christmas in the wilderness, spring time in Japan/Monsoons happening everywhere, even in your backyard/I don't want to hear about heartache or dancing in the snow/We've all been there, so many times before"


Halfway through the album is the 6th track, "MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)", which, as the title suggests, is dedicated to Cale's former collaborator, German musician Nico. The track combines orchestral elements and hazy synths as Cale tells Nico that he "has come to make his peace".



"You're a moonstruck junkie lady/Staring at your feet/Breathing words into an envelope/To be opened on your death"



"EVERLASTING DAYS" features another collaboration, this time featuring Avey Tare and Panda Bear of the group Animal Collective. The addition of Tare and Panda Bear adds a hypnotic quality to the track. Animal Collective's Avey Tare and Panda Bear's psychedelic sound makes for a perfect collaboration with Cale.



"I'm not making excuses/I'm not making amends/Are we saving face, on a day of confusion?/Or clearing the air?"



"NIGHT CRAWLING" is the second most popular track of the album, with a more neo-soul vibe to it, while still containing that cold atmospheric feel that lingers over MERCY. This is yet another song from the album where human connections are a lyrical theme.



"You ask me to say/How our lives would be different today/Think about the way you feel/And the way you live today"



"NOT THE END OF THE WORLD" provides the listener with a false sense of comfort, but each time Cale repeats the title, it becomes more apparent that this feeling of comfort and reassurance is not real. Warmth and happiness are scarce feelings in this album.



"Leave me floating on the water/It's a spiteful thing to do/As strong as it was generous/We had a lot of shit to do/River rushing by, river rushing by/River rushing by, what a spiteful thing to do"



CREDIT: Madeline McManus

Nearing the end of the album is "THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE", a bitter song (featuring Fat White Family) concerning global warming and climate change. The lyrics mention polar bears, their lives being threatened as the snow they're used to rapidly melts, their homes taken away from them. At this point, it becomes clear that MERCY is a chilling album that takes into consideration the various crises that our Earth is experiencing in the current moment. It does its job well.



"Ding dong the wicked witch is dead, dead, dead/Ding dong the wicked witch is dead/Tie her up and run around her beastly head/The polar bears are warm tonight"


The Tei Shi collaboration "I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY" has more of a late Motown feel to it, while still remaining desperate and lacking that sunny feeling some Motown songs contain. It's another desperate song regarding human connections.



"Will your poison save me?/Will it burn me down?/Will our hearts be transplanted?/Will you show me how?"



The album finally concludes with "OUT YOUR WINDOW", where Cale tries to save a friend from suicide. There is no "happy ending" to MERCY, it is uncompromisingly dark and cold from start to finish. It begins with Cale calling out for mercy in the midst of chaos, and ends with an attempt to dissuade a friend from suicide.



"If you jump out your window/I will break your fall/I'll hold you close and keep you calm/Wherever you decide to go"



In all honesty, I was simply blown away by this album. It's yet another incredible addition to the John Cale discography. Perhaps it's worthy to be considered one of 2023's greatest releases so far. Cale is still here, and shall only continue to leave an impact.


MERCY is currently available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.



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