If ever there was a front man with an intriguing voice, Everything Everything’s Jonathan Higgs would top the list for most indie fans. As with all of the band’s biggest hits, Higgs projects his vocal prowess at the drop of a hat; usually with pleasing results.
The sound of latest single, Mercury and Me, is not the band’s usual weapon of choice. If you’re drawn to Everything Everything for their manic nuance and bite, this track will likely disappoint. The band opt for a more sentimental, stripped-back approach in the gentle Mercury and Me. Higgs’s faultless falsetto is still deployed, and perfectly matches the intimacy of what is essentially a piano ballad – accompanied by rivers of reverb – about love and loss. Instead of scaffolding the song’s tempo with his vocals, Higgs ensures his unique register supplements the music.
The outcome is outstanding! There is an irrefutable atmosphere of accepting sadness in Mercury and Me, which is tastefully orchestrated and poignant; however, if you are feeling evenly remotely sad, you should probably give this number a wide berth until your mood lifts.
8/10
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