Cattle & Cane - “Rough Mercy”
Although their new album will not be available until November 17th, Cattle & Cane are determined to keep us satiated with their new single, “Rough Mercy.”
The track begins immediately with singer Helen Hammil’s soulful pop vocal, atop a combination of synth and hand claps that round out the first verse. No immediate comparisons come to mind, but “Rough Mercy” definitely scratches that indie pop/ indie folk itch. The second half of the verse introduces more elements, such as drums, bass, and piano, naturally elevating the production in the process, but leaving room for some sprinkles of vocal harmonies.
Upon hearing the chorus, you will discover exactly when this song put its hooks into us. The groove gently changes and the vocals double, resulting in an ear worm delivery that will have you singing “Rough Mercy” for days. The guitar skillfully riffs over the refrain, which we are assuming is the result of Helen’s brother Joe, adding his flavor to the track. On the way out of the chorus, you will hear the marvelous influences of ELO and The Beatles, both in the saturation of the vocals, as well as the bounciness of the rhythm.
At just under three minutes in length, “Rough Mercy” has one of the catchiest hooks that we’ve heard in quite some time. And now that Cattle & Cane have promised monthly deliveries of music until their record releases, they need to know that they’ve set the bar quite high. And until they send another song our way, they can rest assured that we will be streaming this one daily.
-TM