Reviews
Mercy Oceans (of The Heart)
"Delicate drone-folk from Andria Degens. This is the first Pantaleimon album since her 1999 debut, and nothing about it is hurried. Over gently plucked acoustic guitar, bouzouki, dulcimer and cello, Degens trills simple, devotional paens to God and nature. Her voice, often double-tracked or harmonised with guests Isobel Campbell and Baby Dee, is delicate but far from vulnerable. Anne Briggs, Vashti Bunyan and Bjork's Vespertine are touchstones for an album of humble joy. *** "
- Uncut Magazine
"Accompanied mostly by the hypnotic strummed and plucked sounds of her Appalachian dulcimer, and by occasional guests including Keith Wood of Hush Arbors, Baby Dee and ambient airliner cabin sounds, Andria Degens' second album is an intimate close-up glance into multi-tracked vocal fragility. Deliberately paced, the songs on 'Mercy Oceans' sometimes sound as if they are being sung for the first time, for the listener alone. 'High Star' shimmers brightly, with Degens' slow vibrato intertwining magically with Isobel Campbell's cello amid a trembling drone, the same harmonic tone which gives 'Born Into You' and 'Raw Heart' the timeless stamp of gently passionate love songs which are simultaneously private and shared willingly with the outside world. Drifting in the immersive world of Pantaleimon can be disconcerting though. When the album finishes and workaday normality returns, it somehow seems so much more appealing to play the record over instead, and be stolen away once more."
- Richard Fontenoy, Plan B
"I first became acquainted with the work of Andria Degens through her contribution to the Current 93 album "Black Ships Ate the Sky". Her cover of 'Idumea' engulfed me in a world of quiet and healing warmth with a simple arrangement and a voice that sang barely above a whisper. 'Mercy Oceans' contains that same feeling, only now it is magnified and multifaceted thanks to the original compositions contained within. Andria's songwriting voice is refreshingly pure and unpretentious, falling somewhere between a healing mystic, a wide-eyed child, and a sage. Sonically, the disc is made from sparse and repetitive acoustic instrumentation that sometimes swells with cello and harp, but mostly stays back in the mix with dulcimer and guitar passages filling in the skeletons of the songs. Andria's vocals are chant-like and hushed, at times reminiscent of the great Vashti Bunyan. The contributions of guests like Keith Wood and Baby Dee are handled with a great deal of subtlety, but add to the overall dynamic of the album. To me, the most important thing about 'Mercy Oceans' is the unmistakable magic that Andria has tapped into. I kept feeling a genuine healing presence throughout the album, like an unconditional love felt after a hard cry. This feeling completely overwhelms me every time I listen to the track 'We Love', which might just be the most beautiful piece of mystical music I have ever heard (sitting right next to This Mortal Coil's cover of 'Song to the Siren' and Psychic TV's 'The Orchids'). It seems that songs like these could only emerge from a soul that has been through a great deal of pain, only to emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. This is completely real and powerful music that can change and heal. The simplicity is monumental and the intent is strong." 10/10
- Charles Franklin, Foxy Digitalis
"'Mercy Oceans' is a sort of catharsis that one needs to undergo during ones lifespan. It's music that is whispered. Notions are suggested while Degens' heart bleeds all over the speakers. This is as naked as music gets - where the soul is left barren, where possibilities exist for a better and greater tomorrow. One would like to believe that people will start their own private revolution upon hearing these songs. Degens has a keen ability to hold ones attention. Each phrase is uttered with utmost attention to details. Each breath is filled with meaning and holds weight. With each minute, one gets a sense of floating mere inches above a large body of water in a state of weightlessness. Every time she strikes the dulcimer, plucks the mandolin, or adds drones to the mix, one is struck by the wonder of it all. With guests such as Baby Dee [harp], Isobel Campbell [cello, piano, glockenspiel and vocals], Keith Wood [guitar], the music takes on the aura of near hallowed beauty. 'We Love' comes across as one of the most striking examples of Degens at her peak. The vocals are sung with graceful lift, while the whispering dulcimer and cello melodies send shivers down the spine. Later, on 'Born Into You', the string instruments and drones add up to bliss as Degens sends waves of shimmering cascades from her mouth. The crowning peak comes on 'I Am', where the vocals are austere, dulcimer particularly hypnotic and the piece ends with dead silence. 'Mercy Oceans' is a hill of peace and calmness spread across time and space."
- Tom Sekowski, Vivo