American Music Club, Mercury (CD)

Mercury was a strange record for a major label to release in 1993, starting with Tom Recchion's excellent cover art. It's low on flash, glamour, and style—it's even mastered quietly and subtly (by Bob Ludwig). The musicianship is particularly amazing, and it sounds great. Mark Eitzel's songwriting is obviously self-effacing with a hint of melodrama. When it works, the album is remarkably powerful, but it times it falls into a dangerously mopey territory. Mercury is inconsistent with its long running time (49 minutes) but the highlights have aged nicely.