Now the city’s gone full decay
Think until your mind starts to ache
Don’t pick up the phone, always rings
Blame it on a bright mercury
We have grown complicit, even eager, architects of our own subjugation, crafting the towering conglomerates whose shadows now stifle us. Cybertrucks glide silently down our boulevards like chromium-plated leviathans, a reflection of our surrender to spectacle. The quaint shame of ‘selling out’ has evaporated entirely; ambition is naked, virtue commodified. Wendy’s, once merely a dispensary of hamburgers, now seeks intimacy, friendship…a smiling corporate deity beckoning from the neon temple. How effortlessly we accept this insidious charm, trading critical thought for convenience, our skeptical instincts dulled by the soothing narcotic of advertising’s newfound benevolence. What strange delights comfort our captivity.
Automatic’s Mercury slips onto the scene with the sly ease of a cinematic antihero, blending synth swagger and rhythmic buoyancy into a track built for wry smiles and bobbing heads. Izzy Glaudini, Halle Saxon, and Lola Dompé know well the seductive power of subtlety, embedding their critique of societal malaise within grooves that float effortlessly through your bloodstream.
Mercury is born from the back alleys of trip-hop, nodding knowingly toward the classic breaks of Stones Throw’s golden era, yet steering clear of nostalgia. Its breakbeat backbone provides a hypnotic pulse, punctuated by ethereal synth flourishes and whispered warnings. The song whispers sweetly but carries a weighty warning against surrendering to nihilism, coaxing listeners to remain hopeful amid chaos. The lyrics strike a balance between dreamy existentialism and a subtle push toward awakening. They explore isolation and urban decay with poetic flair, weaving emotional detachment and quiet hopefulness into verses that gently urge us to face reality, reconnect with the natural world, and resist the pull of numbing passivity.
“Despite the horrible shit constantly happening, life can still be mysterious and beautiful,” says Glaudini. “I wanted to lean into a sense of dreaminess, and to have the verses feel like a dark lullaby.”
The video for Mercury captures this spirit perfectly, presenting the trio sipping an ambiguous emerald concoction. Whether it’s the mystical Green Faerie of absinthe or some other iridescent drink of libation, the symbolism is clear: either way, they’re inviting you to stop doomscrolling, remove a few things from the TikTok shop, take a sip…and join their conspiratorial critique of our troubled times.
This single solidifies Automatic’s ability to pair incisive observation with addictive rhythms. They guide listeners toward self-reflection, masked cleverly behind hypnotic beats and winking irreverence. Mercury is a call to awaken, served stylishly with a side of sardonic charm.
Watch the video for “Mercury” below:
Automatic’s approach to their forthcoming album, Is It Now?, due out via Stones Throw on September 26, is playfully cynical; a dark joke delivered with an infectious grin. Automatic urges listeners to confront society’s oppressive structures. Building momentum since their last record, 2022’s Excess, the band has shared stages with the likes of Tame Impala, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Marías, and IDLES. Continuing this momentum, Automatic hits the road again this fall, co-headlining alongside Sextile (see tour dates below).
Beneath the perky minimalist grooves and charming pop melodies lies a cleverly concealed commentary on modern life. While Is It Now? doesn’t claim to provide all the answers, it certainly encourages listeners to ask sharper questions…or at the very least, inspires them to dance their way toward enlightenment.
Listen to Mercury below and pre-order the album here.
Automatic tour dates – TICKETS
9/16: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
9/17: Denver, CO @ Meow Wolf Denver
9/19: Chicago, IL @ Outset
9/20: Detroit, MI @ Tangent Gallery
9/21: Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
9/23: Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Fairmount
9/24: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
9/25: Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
9/26: Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry @ The Fillmore
9/27: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
9/29: Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
9/30: Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room at Third Man Records
10/1: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
10/3: Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory
10/4: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/5: Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Outside)
10/6: El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
10/8: Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
10/9: Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive
10/10: San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
10/11: Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
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