1. Peacemakers Unite

Credits
Vocals & Pedal Steel by Nicholas Merz
Mixed by Steve Albini
Mastered by Bob Weston

“Peacemakers Unite” builds from a radiant, if uneasy, theme. Merz sings in abstracted verses, searching for a means of finding peace, while his instrument interjects. His voice alternates between melismatic and whispering, trembling with the urgency of each word. Every pedal steel motion, as it oscillates between just a couple of notes, is punctuated by the rhythmic tapping of his feet, an echo that grounds this dreamy music in a sense of harsh reality. It is the red sunrise before a storm, the gentle awakening before delving deep into the wounds and darknesses that make a life in America.