"Listen to me so that I can speak"
The Luyas' 2011 album Too Beautiful To Work lives up to its name to an almost unbelievable degree. Singer Jessie Stein and company have captured the kind of magic that most bands can only dream about, and in What Mercy Is it's on display in full force.
In less than two minutes, the band delivers a gut punch of ethereal beauty. Stein's plaintive vocal is surrounded with swirling guitars, flowing horns, and an improbably effective driving tambourine. It's stunning in its simplicity, all the better for its brevity, and probably the best song of 2011.