Steve Lacy. Photo by Alan Lear
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This summer, Steve Lacy will return with his second solo album Gemini Rights. The new project from the guitarist and co-producer for The Internet comes after 2019's Apollo XXI as well as production work for Blood Orange, Solange, Mac Miller, and Kali Uchis. Today, you can hear "Mercury," the new album's first single.
As refreshing as a spiked pineapple soda on the hottest day of the year, "Mercury" is a lovingly crafted tribute to the Brazilian bossanova of yesteryear with the modern flourishes you'd expect from an iconoclast like Lacy. Amongst the undulating nylon guitar strums, Lacy places Autotuned crooning and a climactic rap verse as he shifts between blaming the stars for his cruel romantic disarray and taking personal responsibility. There's an epic feeling to the song beneath its gentle appearance – not so much from its astrological themes as its own formidable composition. Listen below
