Mercury Rev
The Secret Migration

THE REVIEW

At the end of January, four years after their previous "All Is Dream", the new CD by Mercury Rev, "The Secret Migration", was released.
From the very first listen, you can notice that the band has toned down the "hypnotic" elements of their style and returned to a more genuine rock, but without the noisy excesses of their early productions. At the expense of the dreamy and grand orchestrations in "All Is Dream" (still remembered here with "Diamonds"), the new album features rolling rhythms and sudden openings, although hints of their characteristic lullabies, a major imprint from their previous work, are still present. Some tracks begin gently with just piano and voice, with a pounding bass and drums entering after a few bars, as in "In The Wilderness", perhaps the most notable piece.

Aside from the highly listenable opening single "Secret for a Song", the following "Across yer ocean", and the magnificent pop of "In A Funny Way" (already in the soundtrack of "Laurel Canyon"), the standout features of the new tracks that immediately catch the ear are the soothing harmony of "Moving On", and the driving, rolling power of "Arise". "Vermillion" combines the dual nature of the album by mixing rhythmic strength and harmonies, while in "First-time Mother's Joy" and the concluding "Down Poured The Heavens" you can sense how the leader is carrying out an earnest study as a songwriter, without giving up melodic structure and primarily aiming to paint a refined pop on the canvas of experimentation.
Unfortunately, the album's flaw is tracks like "My Love", "The Climbing Rose", and "Black Forest (Lorelei)", which sound repetitive and ultimately seem like unnecessary and boring fillers. After such a long wait, one might have expected a more varied and committed work, where the symphonic aspect of their style would still be highlighted.

Live, the band, hired as the opening act for Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, performs the tracks with their usual energy and a scenographic sound spirit, where you can immediately grasp the versatility of the musicians (the leader and guitarist Grasshopper do very well with the harmonica) and the exceptional skill of the drummer. The band's website has also been completely revamped for this release, with new sections and graphics.