The pop energy of Mercy’s Victim, the newest from Eric Tyler, manifests itself as a series of infectious earworms. The mood is manic at times but rarely melancholic. The track “The Pressure” is an almost obsessive drive to control a romantic situation realized here through a rhythmic tic. There is a lot going on throughout the album, which channels unexpected parallels to classic Michael Jackson and Blonde Redhead. The through line for many of the tracks is a general ABABC pop formula, that allows Tyler to focus on his voice and deliver over beats driven by groove and fat synth sounds, giving a bounce and sinister rhythm to the album. —Syd Bishop
