Although it was originally supposed to be released in December, today is the day when Frog Eyes’ Carey Mercer releases his second album as Blackout Beach, entitled Skin of Evil. Issued through the Soft Abuse imprint, Skin of Evil was written, played, and recorded entirely by Mercer and features an ambitious conceptual storyline concerning a girl named Donna and her past paramours. Loyal TMT readers have had this date circled on their “Indie Stars” calendar for awhile now, but if you haven’t already gone out to pick up Mr. Mercer’s opus, maybe these quotes will help you decide to run out or log on now or to finish your Fruit Loops then go get Skin of Evil.
Let’s first hear from Mercer friend, frequent accomplice, and compatriot Dan Bejar, who seems to like the album:
Maybe it’s about a girl, about salvation’s undoing through romantic love, wreckage of this kind…No matter, the important thing is that this is the first time I’ve REALLY heard theatrics AND atmospherics in a records, and such an abundance of both. One exception is Roxy Music’s Avalon, which this record reminds me of if only for how incredibly well you can (thankfully) hear every last thing. And though Bryan Ferry’s version of control and release are slightly different than Carey’s, Skin of Evil is more just different lyrical concerns, which we’ll here call ‘worldview.’ I believe Skin of Evil is the best record I will hear this year, but let’s not get into that.
Any reason to bring in the ravaged but elegant corpse of Bryan Ferry’s early 1980s career into the mix is okay with us, but let’s see how Mercer himself breaks down his album in this stunning sound bite:
I wrote this record because I desired to make something that stays on task. I picked an easy task: desire, longing, flight, the sorrow of absence...the DNA of most good songs. The heart of the record is simple to describe: beautiful Donna and the men she has left. Eight past lovers, some bitter, some crushed, all in some state of duress, all still in love. Each dude gets his song. Donna gets her song. William, her boyfriend, gets his song.
Lastly, something is missing, so let’s pad out this newsie and read a quote I just nabbed from my neighbor Henzel, a devoted heavy metal fan trapped in 1987, a time when the only way to tell women and men apart was from their breasts or studded breastplates...
I have no idea what this is that you are talking about but I like a good concept if it has chix in it, he, he. Let me know if it has grave-rattling bass ‘n’ drums and twin blazing kamikaze guitars in the classic slow/fast manner that I am accustomed…you know, absolute savage menace! I dunno, I do like the album title. Sounds like something I would buy anyways if I saw that title. I wouldn’t mind that on my tombstone, he, he…”Here lies Henzel…skin of evil…”, he, he. If it comes on a shaped picture disc, maybe like a crucifix, or a sorcerer’s balls or sumthin’, I might buy it. Or if it was on blood red vinyl, or etched on one side with sexual magic scripture or Dio lyrics or sumthin.’ Death to false metal!!! Can I borrow an egg?
Confused? I don’t blame you. You should see how the dude cuts his lawn! When is the last time you’ve even heard talk of a scythe, much less seen a 45-year-old chartered accountant wearing a lime green tunic and chain mail wielding one on his front yard! Sorry for the distraction... but you are still excited about Blackout Beach, right? Good.
Tracklist:
1. Cloud of Evil
2. Biloxi, in a Grove, Cleans Out His Eyes
3. Three Men Drown in a River
4. William, the Crowd, It's William
5. The Roman
6. Woe to the Minds of Soft Men
7. The Whistle
8. Nineteen, One God, One Dull Star
9. Sophia, Donna, I Was Down the River Waiting
10. Astoria, Menthol Lite, Hilltop, Wave of Evil, 1982