Thursday, February 06, 2014

Track Of The Day: Tender Mercy - "In Us"


Louisville's Mark Kramer (aka Tender Mercy) crafts softly dramatic experimental folk ballads that analyze the hypnotic ability of sound.  If you're fortunate enough to see a Tender Mercy live show, Kramer's music becomes illuminated by its skill to repeat and relearn.  It's also obvious on tracks like "In Us".  The track introduces an idea that slowly and skillfully loops on itself and seems to grow into a more powerful form as the sounds matures through time.

We often use the word hypnotic to convey a powerful emotional that allows the listener to get lost in the music.  With Tender Mercy and other experimental folk projects, the word hypnotic is used much more literally as flourishes and flash are put aside for the attempt to capture in sound the image of a pocket watch swinging rhythmically before our eyes.  It's hard to accomplish such and when musicians like Kramer do so on tracks like "In Us", the experience is unique and rewarding.  This type of music is challenging, even in its simplicity, so give it a few spins, let go, and sink in.



FULL EP STREAM 
(Bandcamp)

TOUR DATES
2/7-Bloomington,IN
2/8-Chicago,IL
2/17 Louisville,KY @ Crescent Hill Radio 
2/20 Louisville,KY @ The Rudyard Kipling
2/21 St. Louis,MO @ FOAM
2/22 KC/Lawrence,MO
2/23 Columbia,MO @ Cafe Berlin 
2/24 Denton,TX
2/25 Austin,TX
2/26 Houston,TX
2/27 Jackson,MS
2/28 Memphis,TN
3/01 Nashville,TN

No comments:

Post a Comment