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9.0
132514
9.0 |
Loud And Quiet
John Cale’s genius continues to thrive
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9.0
132516
9.0 |
DIY
Another delicious example of an esteemed old-timer triumphantly pushing his creative frontiers into a much-shifted modern age
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9.0
132541
9.0 |
Clash
This isn’t mere voguish reinvention but a masterful insertion into the most indecipherable of back catalogues, and its reliably mutable, endlessly wandering creator
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8.2
132518
8.2 |
Northern Transmissions
This record might not touch a lot of people, but who it touches, it will touch very deeply
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8.0
132519
8.0 |
Gigwise
Reaping the seeds he’s sown in the contemporary brain
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8.0
132520
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Cale is on fierce form as his voice, rich and commanding, weaves around well-chosen collaborators
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8.0
132521
8.0 |
Mojo
The lack of solidity can make Mercy nebulous like any spirit photo, it sometimes takes work to find the shape, fill in detail. Yet slowly, its unfamiliarity coalesces into a cold beauty, memory acting as a spur, not a comfort blanket. Print edition only
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8.0
132517
8.0 |
Record Collector
Cale remains the star of the show, however, still crafting richly textured songs that don’t always go where you might expect them to, and refusing to pander to expectations
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8.0
132544
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Despite it being over 55 years since he first released an album, John Cale still refuses to go away quietly
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8.0
132545
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
One of his most compelling
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8.0
132628
8.0 |
Exclaim
Many of the tracks on MERCY are in the six or seven minute range, and the emphasis here is on atmospheric soundscapes rather than concise melodies
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8.0
132658
8.0 |
American Songwriter
After time away and even at such a venerable age, Cale continues to make daring seem so daunting
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7.8
132583
7.8 |
Pitchfork
On an often chilly album full of unexpected collaborations and smeared with apocalyptic terror, the 80-year-old art-rock legend grapples with the need for human connection
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7.5
132575
7.5 |
Under The Radar
In Cale’s eightieth year, Mercy reiterates his ever-evolving dedication to high strangeness and musical exploration, and while it never even approaches being an easy listen, it is certainly a compelling, rewarding ride
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7.0
132573
7.0 |
The Quietus
To call Mercy a slog would be dismissive and unduly harsh; challenging would be more appropriate. Given that we are in the presence of the 80-year-old godfather of avant-rock, you know that persistence will be its own reward eventually
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7.0
132709
7.0 |
PopMatters
John Cale enlists Weyes Blood, Sylvan Esso, and Animal Collective to create a dark, unsettling new LP, MERCY, combining darkness with beauty on a knife edge
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6.4
132547
6.4 |
Spectrum Culture
On his first proper album of new material in more than a decade, Cale pulls together much of his thinking from the past while working with younger generations of artists in addressing this particular moment — but it never ascends to his expected heights, largely due to its persistent subdued tone
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6.0
132510
6.0 |
musicOMH
Collaborators including Actress, Fat White Family and Weyes Blood show up for a roster that stretches from eloquent electronica via sleazy indie to dilated-pupil neo-psychedelia
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6.0
132513
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
He has always clothed his sounds in a kind of mist
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