Take Off From Mercy: Vinyl LP

Charleston, SC-based artist Contour announces Take Off from Mercy, his new album and debut for Mexican Summer, out November 1st, and presents the lead single/video “Theresa” alongside “Gin Rummy.” In conjunction, Contour also announces a fall North American tour kicking off in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, October 25th and continuing through cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more. Tickets are on sale now and available here.

Working with the likes of Saul Williams, Mndsgn and co-producer Omari Jazz, Take Off from Mercy documents a journey through past and present, night and day, denial and serene acceptance. Contour (real name Khari Lucas) envisions Take Off from Mercy as an epic within the pitch dark of night leading to a cloudy resolution.

Our narrator is a prodigal son who must wander through the wiles of excess to approach grace; his journey mirroring that of the protagonist in Toni Morrison's epochal third novel, Song of Solomon. To deepen these themes, Lucas is revealing the album in three portions—“Night,” “Evening” and “Morning." This phrasing reflects the narrative arc of the album while providing a broader sonic context to the singles. The cinematic scope of this voyage comes to the fore in the accompanying three-part short film directed by Lucas and T.V (Tshay, Vernon Jordan III).

“Night,” the first portion released today from Take Off from Mercy, drops us off in the dead of night. In the world of this album, a night can steer towards bliss or paranoia. “Theresa”’s loping breakbeat, soaring atmospherics and dream logic lyrics gesture towards the sublime, yet even here, there's a foreboding edge. “I’m dreaming of the last time I saw you dancing,” Lucas intones. “Silver linings each time, they hang me.” The subtle swells and countermelodies give “Theresa” its floating, breathing quality. “Gin Rummy,” meanwhile, is more foreboding, a gambler's lament that sees our protagonist weaving a cautionary tale. Our hero “searches for heaven,” finds it, then lets it slip through his hands like sand.

Tracklist:

1. If He Changed My Name
2. Now We’re Friends
3. Faith
4. Entry 10-4 (Mood Recipe)
5. Watchword
6. (re)Turn
7. Mercy
8. Ark of Bones
9. Guitar Bains
10. The Earth Spins
11. Theresa
12. Gin Rummy
13. Reflexion
14. Seasonal
15. For Ocean