Mercury Rev
Yerself Is Steam

This album was supposed to introduce a new concept of psychedelia in music, blending a bit of Flaming Lips, a bit of Soft Boys, and a bit of the masters of the past, Red Krayola above all.

A 6-person band, however, is certainly not the best approach; on the contrary... Overall, the results tend toward disarray, reached just when it seemed that the sound was settling. Too chaotic at times, at first listen they might seem like a poor copy of the Flaming Lips... as you continue through the album, you realize that this might actually be their intent.

The search for free form, abstract structure, is nothing more than a pretext to initiate the decade into experimentation for its own sake, noise-driven and mantra-like, with a prevailing chaos that at moments spills into sensory disturbance. Only a few pieces can be considered successful, like "Chasing a bee," a delightful ultra-orchestral acoustic loop, and "Smooth Syringe," for guitar drones. In short, reaching a state of ecstasy is not direct, but forced and imposed, with sick atmospheres that almost offend the purity of a Neil Young or a David Thomas.

Mercury Rev, a product designed at the drawing board and launched in an America that by '91 was already tired of grunge, metal, punk, and was only seeing the light with a fabulous hip-hop era. "Yerself is Steam" is called a masterpiece of the '90s by many. Piero gives it a 9, many speak well of it... My opinion is that they are the opaque reflection of a radio bad trip, with decent qualities strictly linked to individualism.

Fortunately, the cheerful sextet will find a place in the American charts with the posthumous "Deserter's Songs," marking a return to catchy tunes and listenability, less pretentious, lofty, and baroque, pop and jazz for after-work entertainment.

Chaos that is not primordial, but immature and lavish.