Armand Hammer and The Alchemist’s Mercy Trades Piano for Violence, and Mostly Earns It

Mercy is Armand Hammer’s Elucid teaming up with rapper billy woods and producer The Alchemist, and it wants to make you sit still. The album runs 41 minutes across 14 tracks, and its central trick is simple: it takes The Alchemist’s piano-led, bare-bones sound and pairs it with two rappers who talk about violence, dehumanization and getting through the day. The result is tense, moody and often very quiet.

Opening With Laraaji

The record starts small. “Laraaji” is a short instrumental that sets the tone before the voices arrive. “Peshawar” follows, a track about war and loss that leans into its subject without ever raising its volume.

“Calypso Gene” is where the album finds its footing. It’s one of the four tracks critics singled out, and it earns the attention — the beat is patient, the delivery is unhurried, and the song builds slowly instead of rushing toward a chorus. It’s a model for how the record works best.

Glue Traps Through Longjohns

“Glue Traps,” “Scandinavia,” “Nil by Mouth” and “Dogeared” form the album’s middle stretch, and three of those four are tracks critics flagged. “Nil by Mouth” is sharp and pointed, a standout that critics flagged specifically. “Scandinavia” deals with violence and survival, and “Crisis Phone” is the longest track on the album at 4:03, giving it room to develop.

“Scandinavia” is one of the four tracks critics singled out, and it carries the weight of the album’s darker themes without losing its focus. “Crisis Phone” is the other standout here, a track that critics flagged for its pacing and its subject matter.

“Glue Traps” and “Dogeared” fill out the sequence without demanding much attention on their own. They’re competent, steady tracks that move the album forward without adding much new.

“Moonbow” is brief and atmospheric, a short pause before the album’s final stretch. “No Grabba” and “u know my body” follow, two tracks that lean more into rhythm and groove than the piano-led approach that defines most of the record. Neither of the two gets singled out by critics.

“Longjohns” closes this stretch, a track that picks up the pace slightly before the album turns toward its final two songs.

Closing With California Games

The final two tracks are where Mercy reaches for something bigger. “California Games” is a short, direct track that critics flagged as one of the standouts. “Super Nintendo” ends the album on a note that critics described as a return to normal life after a break — a comparison to an inning after a rain delay, a moment of relief after tension.

These two tracks together form the strongest back half of the record, with “California Games” doing the heavy lifting.

What Works And What Doesn’t

The album’s strength comes from restraint. The Alchemist’s production is sparse and piano-driven, and it rarely overplays. That approach suits the subject matter — violence, dehumanization, survival — far better than a full-throttle beat could. The four tracks critics singled out — “Nil by Mouth,” “Scandinavia,” “Calypso Gene” and “Crisis Phone” — are the clearest examples of what the record does best.

But the middle stretch drags in spots. “Glue Traps” and “Dogeared” don’t quite reach the heights of the singles, and they tend to blur together. The album is at its best when it’s focused and specific, and at its worst when it’s merely competent.

Here’s how the critical response broke down:

• “Nil by Mouth” — critics flagged as one of the standouts
• “Scandinavia” — critics flagged as one of the standouts
• “Calypso Gene” — critics flagged as one of the standouts
• “Crisis Phone” — critics flagged as one of the standouts

Verdict

Mercy is a strong, deliberate record that knows exactly what it wants to be. Its four standout tracks are among the best hip-hop on the album, and its piano-led production sets it apart from most of what’s around it. The middle stretch sags a bit, but the highs are high enough to carry the whole thing.

This is a record that rewards patience. It’s not built for casual listening, and it doesn’t try to be. It asks for your full attention, and it delivers something worth giving it.

7.9 out of 10.

The recordMercy Armand Hammer & The Alchemist14 tracks · 42 min

1. Laraaji2:23
2. Peshawar2:13
3. Calypso Gene2:57
4. Glue Traps3:35
5. Scandinavia3:15
6. Nil by Mouth3:09
7. Dogeared2:52
8. Crisis Phone4:03
9. Moonbow2:30
10. No Grabba4:16
11. u know my body2:01
12. Longjohns2:42
13. California Games3:14
14. Super Nintendo2:42

album review · billy woods · hip hop · Mercy · The Alchemist