Lofty Reviews: August Wells – Madness is the Mercy

Lofty reviews the brand new album from August Wells, Madness is the Mercy

It takes a very skilled band to pull off the tricky balancing act of creating an album that is simultaneously anchored in pathos and regret whilst also being an uplifting experience. Thankfully August Wells have the necessary talent in abundance and achieve the feat almost effortlessly on “Madness is the Mercy”.

Building on their debut, August Wells have with their sophomore long player produced an album that is even more polished than “A Living and a Dying Game” whilst still mining the rich themes of melancholy and heartbreak with superb tracks like “Here in the Wild”, “She Was a Question” and “Katie Call Home” all beautifully presented here.

The combination of John Rauchenberger’s piano and a lively brass section provide a gorgeous tapestry for main man Ken Griffen to layer his life stories (lived & imagined) upon. And of course it’s Griffen’s sumptuous lived in baritone that both grounds the tracks and lifts them to delicious heights. “This Man Cries” is a perfect showcase for Griffen and one could almost imagine the legendary Johnny Cash in his latter years filling Griffen’s role such is the quality the long serving Irish singer delivers on what is a real album highlight.

Other high points on the album are the rousing “Come On In Out Of That Night“ and the somewhat positive album closer “Have a Good Night Everyone”.

So is “Madness is the Mercy” by August Wells “A Little Too Real” for me? Not a chance and I’m going to enjoy this sort of reality for quite a time to come.

“Madness is the Mercy” is released on FIFA Records on September 9th.

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