Mercy is the twelfth studio album by guitarist and songwriter Trey Anastasio, released on March 11, 2022.[1] It is his first fully acoustic album and was produced by Bryce Goggin and Robert Stevenson.[2]
| Mercy | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 11, 2022 | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 33:28 | |||
| Label | Rubber Jungle | |||
| Producer |
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| Trey Anastasio chronology | ||||
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Two songs from this album - "Hey Stranger" and "Mercy" - were re-recorded by Phish for their sixteenth studio album, Evolve, set to be released in July 2024.
Background
editMercy is Anastasio's second album recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after 2020's Lonely Trip, and is seen as a companion to that album. He has said that he intends to implement the songs on the album into Phish's repertoire in the near future.[3]
Anastasio felt that the songs needed to be heard in sparse arrangements, saying in the liner notes:
It’s two years since we went into hiding. This is still going on, and it’s an even lonelier trip… Here I was, still at home, playing acoustic guitar. I thought, “These songs just want to be one guy with a guitar, singing.”[4]
On the album, Anastasio used a custom-made acoustic guitar by Adam Buchwald of Circle Strings commissioned by Phish keyboardist Page McConnell as a birthday gift. Some songs on the album include more than one guitar part, overlaid on top of an existing part, with Anastasio explaining:
The decision was made very quickly: "Let me double the guitar." I was listening to the first take on headphones and playing off it. It was like jamming with myself.[5]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Trey Anastasio
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Little More Time" | 3:39 |
| 2. | "Mercy" | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Flying Blind" | 3:07 |
| 4. | "Blazing Down the Twisted Wire" | 3:41 |
| 5. | "6 1/2 Minutes" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Roll Like a River" | 4:32 |
| 7. | "Hey Stranger" | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Arc" | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Ever Changing Tide" | 2:50 |
| Total length: | 33:28 | |
Personnel
edit- Trey Anastasio – all instruments and vocals
References
edit- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Trey Anastasio – Mercy Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Kahn, Andy (March 11, 2022). "Trey Anastasio Releases 'Mercy' Solo Acoustic Album". Jambase. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Kahn, Andy (March 11, 2022). "Trey Anastasio Releases 'Mercy' Solo Acoustic Album". Jambase. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (March 7, 2022). "Trey Anastasio Preps His First Acoustic Solo Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "Trey Anastasio releases first Solo Acoustic Album Mercy". NYS Music. March 7, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.