Mercury Rev – Deserter’s Songs album review
Josh is a writer, a musician, an outdoorsman and a visionary with dreams of a world confident enough in its own creativity to be expressive and revolutionary.
In 1998, American alternative rock group, Mercury Rev released what they thought would be their last record. Deserter’s Songs, recorded as a sort of final hoorah with little-to-no regard for public opinion, resulted in massive commercial and critical success effectively launching the band to heights previously unmatched. Five years prior, lead singer, David Baker had left the group following the release of Boces and with his departure so left the darker, less-palatable side of the group – something that undoubtedly paved the way for the strange but accessible mood of Deserter’s Songs. Now, in May 2011 the group has re-issued the breakthrough record as a slew of collector’s items, bonus tracks, instrumental editions and the like. This review however, will focus on the original album as released in 1998.
Listening now, its no wonder this gem saw such grand success. A richly diverse album featuring a large helping of acclaimed musicians, Deserter’s Songs is an odd and delightful 45-minute-long trip through a vast array of genres, moods and soundscapes. Tracks such as “Endlessly” and “Opus 40,” featuring Levon Helm on drums, bare striking resemblance to some of the Beatles more experimental cuts from albums like Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s. Adding to the Beatles evocation is Jonathan Donahue’s voice, which on some tracks sounds almost identical to John Lennon himself; high-pitched and wavering ever so slightly, I almost expected to hear him break into “I’m Only Sleeping.”
The album also features several traits similar to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon including lo-fi instrumental interludes, “I Collect Coins” and “Pick Up If You’re There” as well as orchestra laden album opener, “Holes”. Other tracks, such as “Hudson Line” featuring Garth Hudson (The Band) on Sax, are unmistakably reminiscent of Tom Petty.
It’s been three years since we’ve seen anything from Mercury Rev and this re-release is a splendid way for them to return to our ears. Sometimes it takes a gentle reminder to bring us back to bands that have somehow gotten lost among the piles of records and this reminder is certainly one worth another listen.
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