Photo by Erica Snyder

L.A. trio Automatic is set to drop their upcoming album Is It Now? on September 26th via Stones Throw Records. Last month that teased fans with the title track. Now they return with the second single titled ‘Mercury’.

‘Mercury’ is a slick and shimmering hybrid of synth-pop, punk funk, and electro, with these up-funk drums that almost has a breakbeat sensibility. The husky synth bass line in the track gives it a bit of darkness, while the airy, seductive vocals foster the perfect balance. So far Automatic haven’t missed since their debut release, and judging by what we’ve heard thus far from the new record, the third run will also be a winner.

Automatic have also shared accompanying visuals which you can check out.

Touching on the track, Automatic’s Izzy Glaudini said:

“(“Mercury” is a reminder) not to fall into nihilism or cynicism, to instead see life through a bit of a spiritual lens. Despite the horrible shit constantly happening, life can still be mysterious and beautiful. I wanted to lean into a sense of dreaminess, and to have the verses feel like a dark lullaby. Musically, the song was inspired by jazz and trip-hop. When writing the bassline, Halle was heavily inspired by the Stones Throw catalogue, and a breakbeat sample made for an even bigger departure for the band. As Halle puts it, “our old ideas and new ones crashed together and resulted in this third album’s sound.”