Guest review by The Underground venue manager Lee Barber
The chilling, andante chords of Feverfew’s opening instantly set the scene. We are to be given a dark and powerful experience, taken on a journey through a night filled with remeniscence and yet also hope and promise. This is Spring23, the new two-track release from Stoke outfit Mercury, who follow up their self-titled debut single with their already well-honed style.
Musical architect Harvey Magher has long been hard at work on just that; finding his own unique sound, and alongside Jake Ward, Ike Reed and Dean Boon, Magher has Mercury blossoming like the namesake of Spring23’s opening track. Just as easily as it is to envision Feverfew being played live in a dark and dingy smoke filled room, heads bobbing with emantipation and appreciation in equal measure, it is all too easy to picture yourself driving out of the city into the dark depths of a summers night, such is the prowess of frontman Jake Ward’s lyrics, which are delivered with an air of romantisicm.
The haunting pace of Failure combined with the jangling guitars of Superheaven forms the drving force of Mercury, creating a lethal sound which keeps the ‘grunge revivalist’ label away and instead puts them closer to the likes of Earth Is A Black Hole era Teenage Wrist.
While Feverfew is a song which leaves you with an inexplicable feeling of nostalgia, it is in fact second song Years Gone which contains painful lyrics suggesting the guilt and powerlessness felt at not being able to change the past, and dealing with situations that were beyond our control. These harrowing lyrics glide over a hard beat and sublime guitar work to create a fine song destined to be a floor filler, and certainly a tune not to be missed live if given the chance.
Dean Boon spent several years hidden away, learning his craft with cultish trip-hop band South Wall Corner Club, but this sleeping giant has been woken by Harvey Magher’s vision, and Boon has in the last twelve months thrust himself to the forefront of talented drummers in the area. Drum sticks the only weapon required by the 27-year-old, Boon carries the hard hitting noise of Mercury with precision and authority, striking up a perilous partnership with bassist Ike Reed, a name certainly not unknown in the Stoke scene, whose craft is almost as perfectly woven as his hair. Almost.
Mercury, again not unlike the humble feverfew, are a band carrying healing properties. Where the plant might have anti-inflammatory effects, Mercury are at the forefront of new bands healing the darkness which was cast upon Stoke’s music scene during the Covid-19 pandemic, reigniting the flames and shedding light and excitement upon the scene once more. If this double A-side is anything to go by, Spring23 is going to be pretty bright for us all.
You can listen to Spring23 on Spotify here. Or, if you want to catch the band perform live, you can catch them at The Underground supporting Angel Number on April 22, or at Lymelight Festival the following weekend.
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