‘Karaoke Friday’ is the latest in a string of singles being released by London-based band My Mercury before their futuristically titled debut album Starship 3000 is out on 27th February. It seems doubtful that the album will be bracketed alongside the space rock of Hawkwind or Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack. In my review of last October’s single ‘Before’, I described it as having “the wide-eyed wonder and gathering momentum of all the best Springsteen songs, with achingly gentle lyrics.” If explorations within this floating rock we call home move you more than alien discoveries, then welcome again to the indie/alt-country of My Mercury.
The band describe themselves as “the very antidote to social media’s musical snippet culture.” However, the first three seconds of ‘Karaoke Friday’ could be snipped to soundtrack a TikTok video about a buzzing bee or a dysfunctional ambulance or a slowed-down Psycho parody. It also reminded me of Beth Orton’s Americana electronica lowkey banger ‘She Cries Your Name’. I’ve just listened to it again and the goosepimples have yet to recede.
Anyway, back to ‘Karaoke Friday’. Cowbell is featured in an ambling, Eels-like intro. “I was taking my dog out / When I spotted six jet planes” is just the sort of thing E would sing in a wonky tale that becomes an allegory for our brief and pointless existence. But let’s not slide down the Sisyphean dirt ramp – My Mercury are here to cheer you up. “Karaoke Friday / Swim on Saturday,” Michael and Xanthe sing with the glee of students rewarding themselves after dissertation deadline. There’s even a key change that Westlife would have vetoed for being too uplifting.
Starship 3000 will not be launched into space but it will be launched at Stewart Lee’s local the Shacklewell Arms on 5th March. The band will then be at the Ivy House in South London on 17th March. Tell all your favourite Earth dwellers.
‘Karaoke Friday’ is out on 30th January via Bandcamp
My Mercury: Bandcamp | Instagram
Review by Neil Laurenson
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