Album Review :
Nobody's Uncle - Mercy Diorama

I was completely unfamiliar with Nobody’s Uncle when the band reached out for coverage. It’s always mildly harrowing to get a request for a review of an independent artist you’re not familiar with. While there are sometimes some pleasant surprises, there are also plenty of duds. Either artists that aren’t that effective at what they’re trying to do musically, or simply those whose music doesn’t connect with you on a personal level.

Fortunately for us, Mercy Diorama falls into that “pleasantly surprising” category. Nobody’s Uncle is a one-man band from Michigan, and although technically a solo project, the artist prefers the anonymity of a band name. The album is a true labor of love; a ten-year project, with at least one song’s origins going all the way back to 2013. But what is the album like?

As might be expected from an album that is the culmination of over a decade’s creative input, Mercy Diorama contains sounds both old and new. While it sounds fresh and current, there are influences from 90s alternative pop to 00s emo and even some folk sounds.

“Condition (The Hissing)” opens the album with a nice, upbeat intro that really grabs your attention. It’s alternative pop or “indie” with jangly guitars and some sweet vocal harmonies. “Sweet” is a little more subdued, and has lots of biblical references—a theme that we’ll see pop up throughout the album. This one has a mild feel of a less-produced Sixpence None the Richer or Rich Young Ruler (remember them?)

“Elliott” is a love song to an infant son, lost to a miscarriage. And while the song is sad, it focuses on the hope of reunification on the other side of Glory. It features gently layered instruments and achieves a very peaceful and serene setting. “Follow You There” is a mostly acoustic number, again with those vocal harmonies, and what sounds to me like possibly a classical guitar, as it sounds like nylon strings.

“Lazarus” is a little more rock and roll, but still has the subdued vocals we are coming to expect. The subdued nature of the vocals might be a secret strength to the album. There are times when I want him to belt it out a little more, but it never crescendos to that point. In keeping, “A Fool’s Pardon” features a more folksy, kind of worshipful, very devotional/meditative state.

“Penelope” is another mellow, mostly acoustic one—a song sung to a family member, possibly a daughter? This is followed by “The Gravity of Love” with some cool and clean guitars, mildly jangly.

“Leviathan” is another mellow, subdued track, but with clean electric instruments. Sometimes Nobody’s Uncle reminds me of the some of the emo-meets-folk stylings of Chase Tremaine or John Gold. It’s definitely in the singer-songwriter vein, but filtered through an indie rock lens (or vice versa).

“The Perennial Squander” is a little bit more of a romp, featuring electric guitars and more up-tempo pace. It’s equal parts alt country and rock and roll. It brings to mind Son Volt but with more subdued vocals. Album closer “Empire for Eden” ends things on another upbeat rocker, but again with subdued vocals. Even when they rock out, there is a subdued tone that keeps things under ‘control’ so to speak.

Overall Mercy Diorama is a pleasant addition to the indie-folk subgenre, and offers worshipful and reflective perspectives on life, love, and tragedy. Fans of the aforementioned Sixpence, as well as Jars of Clay, Coopertheband, Sower, Chase Tremaine, Pine Grove should give these guys a listen.

For ordering, downloading, streaming, point your browser to: https://nobodysuncle.bandcamp.com/album/mercy-diorama