CD of the Week: As I Call You Down

Three songwriters walk into a studio. They have three days of recording time but nothing written. When Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison left the studio, they emerged as a harmonious new group.

Fistful of Mercy's debut As I Call You Down may be an acoustic one-off, a la Monsters of Folk. After all, Harper's career alone has touched on folk, gospel and straight-ahead rock during the past few years. But the album rewards repeat listening with standouts like the title track and "Father's Son."

Fistful of Mercy perform at Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C., on November 16.