Comfort Music as the world turns dark
A global pandemic, the rise of authoritarianism, Brexit, Trumpism – this is not a great time in history. It has not been helped by the awful mediocrity of current popular music.
Starved of something to listen to in these darkening days, along came an envelope from Amazon containing a box set to lift the spirits: The Secret Migration by Mercury Rev. Over a 10 year period, book ended by “See You on the Other Side” and “The Secret Migration” Mercury Rev (MR) released a series of lush orchestral pop albums that dripped with melancholy, hope, sweetness.
The music in the Secret Migration is as soothing as a lullaby. The album was described as “gorgeous songs about love and optimism.” Although “The Secret Migration” received mixed reviews at the time: Uncut, Pitchfork & AllMusic – didn’t like it, the majority of reviewers did. I liked it then and I like it now – and the album is far superior to much of the dross that is currently being released. LA Times “There is undeniable sweep to these 13 understated tracks, a modern psychedelic current that is lush, ominous and lovely.” Regardless, I have found the optimism and beauty to be quite a tonic for these troubled times.
“Deserter’s Songs” from 1998 probably remains their magnum opus – a modern orchestral soundscape that combined indie, shoegaze, dreampop, powerpop and psychedelia just like it’s doppelganger “The Soft Bulletin” by the Flaming Lips. MR subsequently released just the instrumental background of the album.
“All is Dream,” released in 2001, is another masterpiece – darker and more intense than Deserter’s songs but just as immediate. It was also released as a multi-CD box set and 2 LP vinyl set by Cherry Red in the past year or so.
If you don’t want to sit through the 4 Mercury Rev albums from that era in sequence, as I did – and it cheered me up no end, then it is worth exploring their “greatest hits” collection, that also includes some notable early favorites. The band recently toured “Deserter’s Songs” – for it’s 20th anniversary; I went to see them in a small local theatre and Grasshopper and Jonathan Donahue and their band were just marvelous during that short set.
Mercury Rev’s most recent LP release is a note-by-note reconstruction of Bobby Gentry’s “Delta Sweetie” – that features Lucinda Williams (“Ode to Billy Joe – that is absolutely not on the original album), Phoebe Bridgers, Beth Orton and others. It is a fun record – but stream it – buy the original that has recently been reissued in a glorious package by UME.
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