Mercury Rev
The Secret Migration

THE REVIEW

If this morning, while I was in the car and listening to this album for the very first time, I had a laptop or a PC at my disposal to jot down this review, I would have written something like this:

"I am absolutely furious. Especially with myself. I should have realized that I risked wasting my money. After all, that review I read mentioned (I must deduce at this point) that celebratory work of saccharine and over-arranged musical nothingness that is See You On The Other Side in conjunction with this The Secret Migration. Another review stated that it was a flat, formulaic work, without any noteworthy ideas, boring. And maybe I wouldn't have bought this record if I hadn't also read reviews like 'Sure Album of the Year', 'The definitive consecration of Mercury Rev's greatness'. In the end, my musical greed caught me out. But I want to take revenge on Debaser, so Final Rating: 1 out of 5"
and I would have managed to fully follow a piece of advice I read a while ago on Debaser, namely to increase the number of slams compared to the praises of reviewed albums. But I didn't have the laptop, so I find myself now writing the following, and I have to hurry before I end up, by listening to it again and again, calling it "almost" good: "It is indeed a flat, boring, and formulaic album. I don't know if it's also due to Dave Fridmann's arrangements (too similar to those used in the latest by Sparklehorse). Dave Fridmann whom I still consider one of the best "alternative" arrangers, if only for what he did with the Flaming Lips. Flaming Lips who at this point I consider perhaps the only ones (perhaps due to their real "creative anarchy") capable of not allowing their albums to be homogenized and ultimately flattened to the advantage and because of our man's elaborate arrangements. I think there are still ¾ songs in The Secret Migration that are worth saving (the first, the penultimate in particular). For the rest, it's truly hard to get to the end, as the songs resemble each other and are shapeless and devoid of ideas, with absolutely misplaced and ill-conceived citations. Believe it or not, in one song they openly emulate the Smashing Pumpkins of Mellon Collie (!!!). In another, I almost feel like they cite CSN&Y. Want some advice? Just let it go.

PS: It has nothing to do with this, but I wanted to tell you that before this major purchase, I was only listening to Goodbye and Hello by Tim Buckley (damn me if I hadn't continued to do so...). Do you know Morning Glory? Do it, as soon as you can, and have the tissues ready, for how heart-rending and above all "REAL" it is.