Mercury Rev
Snowflake Midnight (Yep Roc)
By Maya Kroth
Published: October 4th, 2008 | 9:00am
Critics of Mercury Rev’s well-behaved 2005 album The Secret Migration argued that the once deliciously chaotic band had gone soft. On this release, the band returns — sort of — to the creative “anything goes” territory from whence it came. Though this follow-up is way electronic and highly manipulated, the pastoral feel of Secret Migration isn’t entirely gone — snippets of rainfall sounds and children’s laughter plus lyrical references to butterflies and snowflakes keep the record grounded on earth (barely), even as the music spins into outer space.
Co-produced by longtime collaborator David Fridmann (who’s worked with the Rev and singer Jonathan Donahue’s former band, the Flaming Lips, forever), Snowflake Midnight is a jubilant, 41-minute-long ode to being alive, mixing jittery jams, anthemic guitars, delicate little details, and just enough distortion to keep it interesting. There seem to be a zillion sonic elements on each track — from guitars and pianos to less recognizable sounds emanating from some unknowable black boxes — yet they’re all in sync, creating a palpable immediacy in each song.
Standout “People Are So Unpredictable” combines excitable drumming, restless pianos and sounds of heavy breathing with lines like “One moon, one you / One chance to kiss you.” Lyrics aren’t always center-stage: The swelling “Senses On Fire” has no use for words other than the four in the title, but that doesn’t keep the synths and hand clappy rhythm section from expressing sensory conflagration.
The mood on Snowflake Midnight gets so big and airy at times it feels like it might just float away. It could have benefited from a little more edge, some darkness. While the album has the remarkable ability to satisfy both 7-year-olds and those who’ve been dosing their coffee with acid since the ‘70s, for most grown-ups, the wide-eyed wonderment can get a little cringe-worthy. But it would make an awesome soundtrack to the planetarium laser show — anybody got a bong?
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Issue #24
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