OH MERCY
Announce New Album
‘CAFÉ OBLIVION’
TO BE RELEASED MARCH 9 – PRE-ORDER HERE NOW
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Oh Mercy today announces the release of their highly anticipated 5th studio album ‘Café Oblivion’, set for release on March 9 and available for pre-order here.
Alex Gow, the Melbournian man behind the ARIA Award winning Oh Mercy has established the name as an iconic Australian act. ‘Café Oblivion’ affirms the whispers, Gow is certainly one of the country’s most accomplished, interesting and interested songwriters. A student of The Triffids, Paul Kelly and The Go-Betweens, album by album, Gow has managed to forge his own musical legacy.
The second single to be lifted from ‘Café Oblivion’ is the infectious ‘Keep A Light On’ which follows the first single ‘National Park’. ‘Keep A Light On’ come with an equally playful video directed by WILK (Sarah Blasko, Olympia).
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WATCH: Keep A Light On
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Whereas 2015’s ARIA Award-winning ‘When We Talk About Love’ spoke of love, loss and longing, ‘Café Oblivion’ revels in the psychedelic imagery or lovers, villains, Gods, Australian sporting personalities and marsupials alike. It features songs set in Everest, in Sri Lanka, Abbotsford cafes, Nashville bars, post-apocalyptic landscapes and a 1980s Italian TV set. It is above all things playful.
“I’m feeling comfortable. I was 29 when I wrote and recorded Café Oblivion. With that comfort came the desire and ability to be more playful than I have in the past, lyrically and musically. All of the past four albums saw me trying to prove something, ‘Be less like that, be more like this’ – this time around it’s just me being me. I’m a grown man. I’m in a good spot. I think it’s audible”. Says Gow of the album.
With Gow’s tongue firmly in Gow’s cheek, ‘Café Oblivion’ sees the songwriter loosen the bonds of an archetype he describes as “your-everyday-tired-white-straight-male-with-an-acoustic-guitar-hell-bent-on-authenticity-type-of-dude. You know, dogmatic expression via experience. Uh uh. We don’t need another one of them”. Instead, first person is expertly woven with third. The line is perpetually blurred and the effect is mesmerizing.
‘Café Oblivion’ was recorded over the 2016/2017 summer at The Grove studios, produced and mixed by Scott Horscroft. “I don’t remember much else besides watching the cricket and drinking coffee, that’s gotta be a sign of a great recording session”. Gow continues, “during my final vocal takes, Scott broke the headphone mix down for me. It read: Channel 1 BAND. Channel 2 VOCALS. Channel 3. CRICKET. It’s important to keep informed”.
Gow’s relationship with Horscroft was integral to the ‘Café Oblivion’ sound. After working together on ‘When We Talk About Love’ the pair had an established creative vocabulary that added an extra level of precision to the ‘Café Oblivion’ recordings. “Scott and I have a fantastic working relationship. Most of our decision-making is non-verbal. It’s very exciting. We have fun, we’re relaxed, and we get a hell of a lot of work done.”
Café Oblivion unfurls to reveal a wondrous and charming landscape. One unlike Oh Mercy has produced before. So, grab a table by the window where pathos and ecstasy share a schooner under the 67th of 350 signed prints of Steve Smith. As the world gets crazier, Gow just keeps getting better.
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OH MERCY
CAFÉ OBLIVION – Order HERE
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SAT 7 APRIL
AMPLIFIER BAR, PERTH
Tickets available from HERE
1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
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SUN 8 APRIL
THE NEWPORT HOTEL, FREMANTLE
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1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
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FRI 13 APRIL
LANSDOWNE HOTEL, SYDNEY
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1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
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SAT 14 APRIL
BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE
Tickets available from HERE
1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
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FRI 20 APRIL
HOWLER, MELBOURNE
Tickets available from HERE
1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
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