Fistful of Mercy – As I Call You Down

Handful Of Folk

Ben Harper is a man of many talents, and his Grammy winning guitar skills have been tried and tested through different musical match ups- from rock to gospel- with unstoppable success. Combine him with the talents of Dhani Harrison (son of George) and Joseph Arthur from The Lonely Astronauts and you have a recipe for the latest “super-group” to hit the airways.

Fistful of Mercy first formed in February 2010 after a skate park run in but it didn’t take long for the trio to create an amazing album. The nine track As I Call You Down unites imperceptibly psychedelic sound with a little rootsy folk.

Opener “In Vain Or True” questions the reality of love while channeling, appropriately enough, The Beatles and some Crosby Stills & Nash. Simplistic lyrics, bare-bones acoustic sounds and layers of harmony are a beautiful start for what lies ahead.  Another album highlight, “Father’s Son,” kicks up some dust with a foot-stomping, hand-clapping country hoedown feel and Harper’s slick slide guitar riffs. Yet the most memorable songs on the album are “30 Bones,” a beautiful instrumental, and  “I Don’t Want To Waste Your Time,” stemming from the fact that the trio were afraid to waste each others time but, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Harper, Harrison and Arthur blend their voices in perfect harmony.

The genuine talent of Fistful of Mercy is evident and undeniable, and if As I Call You Down is what they can come up with in three days, there’s no stopping what they can do together the next time around.