Rocco DeLuca uses a delicate falsetto, resonator guitar, and incisive, questioning lyrics to deliver his second album, Mercy. Rocco has the help of five-time Grammy-winning producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel) to draw upon. DeLuca and Lanois formed their bond after the producer caught a last-minute performance at L.A. club Spaceland in late 2007. Following their endless touring, DeLuca and drummer Ryan Carman jumped at the chance to blow off steam by filling an open slot on a hometown bill. “I had my dobro, and Ryan brought a little kick drum, and we played all the material that I’d been writing over the last few months.” Lanois – who, unbeknownst to DeLuca, had been listening intently from the front row – beckoned him over to the back bar, and suggested they work together. Mercy covers vast emotional terrain, from the melancholy “Junky Valentine,” to the explosive “Save Yourself.” The title track is an ambient, piano-driven masterpiece featuring a guest performance by UK trio Keane. These twists and turns build, layer upon layer, with haunted intricacy. “For the first time,” says DeLuca, “I’ve come to realize the music in my head.”