MERCY ARMS SELF TITLED DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE: AUGUST 16TH Haunting melody. Ragged feedback. Bittersweet vocals evoking Morrissey’s lovelorn falsetto and Leonard Cohen’s poetic flare. Soon to release their debut album, Sydney quartet MERCY ARMS are one of rock’s most captivating young bands. They’ve drawn comparison to the classic pop of The Smiths and The Church, to the noise-guitar mastery of The Cramps and My Bloody Valentine… But it’s a fresh sound too. Unforgettable choruses, shimmering noise, crowned by Thom Moore’s poignant voice and Kirin J Callinan’s unique guitar. Their music is grand, original, raw, and has absolutely nothing to do with the current electo fashion. MERCY ARMS live show will break the hardest heart. Hypnotic rhythm, deafening fuzz, the howls and whispers of a singer who acutely feels every note. Julian Sudek ferociously bashing the skins, Ash Moss weaving intricate basslines, Kirin J. Callinan torturing his guitar like the virtuoso lovechild of Kevin Shields and Ziggy Stardust. The self titled debut album ‘MERCY ARMS’ is deservingly anticipated as one of the releases of 2008. From the frenetic rhythm of Half Right, to the ethereal bombast of Firing Line, to the dreamy pop grandeur of Kilby, this is a record to renew our faith in the power of the electric guitar. In the studio Mercy Arms have collaborated with legendary producer TONY COHEN, famed for producing timeless records by The Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and then down that line albums by Beasts of Bourbon, the Dirty Three and Crime and the City Solution. The collective chose to also mix the album in Melbourne with TONY ESPIE, the man most regarded for his work with The Avalanches and Cut Copy. “The best moment during the recording was when we tracked half our songs in Melbourne within a couple of days. Listening back to them, we could immediately hear the raw energy in the room and the performance Tony Cohen was generating” - Ash Moss, bass Since forming in 2005, MERCY ARMS have toured Australia with contemporary greats (Pixies, The Strokes) and young British buzz-bands (The Horrors, Editors). MERCY ARMS debut album is out independently through MGM on August 16th. Mercy Arms are: Thom - vocals/guitar Kirin J. Callinan – guitar Ash Moss – bass Julian Sudek – drums