Former frontman for ‘90s alternative hitmakers Live, Ed Kowalczyk soldiers on with a confidence that makes his 2013 solo album The Flood and the Mercy a key entry in his ongoing catalog. Ed’s passion and unwavering intensity made his critics seem like bitter cynics unable to connect to the power of man who believes. The Flood and the Mercy continues in this vein, with valuable contributions from R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata; they assist Ed at important junctures and take just enough pressure off to let him move freely. “The One” and “Seven” start the album with the beautiful bombast that rock ’n’ roll's been doing the right way since the early days of The Who. “Angels on a Razor” pulls back for a tuneful venture into folk-rock on the verses and trudging majesty on the choruses. Shades of mid-'80s Cult come blasting out of “Parasite” and “Supernatural Fire.” Contemplative rock returns with the slow burn of “All That I Wanted,” “Holy Water Tears,” and “Cornerstone.”