Glenn Mercer – Wheels in Motion
First a hearty thank you to Derek for bringing this to my attention. Glenn Mercer was a member of the famed Feelies, one of the most underrated and underappreciated bands in the US. His first solo effort should invigorate Feelies fans that loved albums like ‘The Good Earth’ and ‘Crazy Rhythms’.
I came late to the game with the Feelies, partly because for who knows how long their albums have been out of print, so for any new fans out there they are stuck with substandard copies of them on the internet.
Mercer was one of the main co-conspirator’s in The Feelies with Bill Million, and in this album we hear the influential jangly guitar rhythms matched with the solid percussion and Mercer’s stipean mumbles underneath the music. Mercer’s album also features pretty much every Feelie, minus Million on this recording helping out on the various tracks so in many respects it feels Feelieish.
‘Until It’s Clear’ sounds like decaffienated Nirvana meets Luna. As was the case with classic Feelies, Mercer allows the music to venture into your brain, the guitar chords and drums becoming mesmerizing. ‘Whatever Happened’ reminds me one of those classic Feelies songs like ‘Slipping (into something)’ with the catchy extra long guitar, drum intros.
In a way, bands like the Feelies, helped initiate the entire shoegaze era where you can hear bands like Luna interwoven in their music. But it’s that combination with that R.E.M.-like jangling which makes this album so desirable.
Some of the more impressive tracks include a salute to the great George Harrison with the medley ‘Within Without You/Love You Too’ a seven minute heroes welcome to the silent Beatle. As on the Feelies albums that commonly added a cover version or two on an album Mercer does not cheapen the music but offers up a Hobokian salute that sounds like Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) is drooling in the background listening to it.
And lastly, one cannot forget the Velvet Underground cover of Sunday Morning which is available as a bonus track if you download it (iTunes). Mercer gives this little eclectic treat gives the track warmth.
Rock music critic Jim Derogatis ranked this album as the best album of the year and while I will not go that far just yet I will say that it will get multiple plays from this listener. To be honest with you, one of the sad facts is that many of the “Indie” music sites did not review this album which is just about where ‘The Feelies’ stand in their memorybanks which is really sad and pitiful indeed and I can understand where Derogatis is coming from by making that proclamation.