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Mercury Rev's latest - dominated by synths and electronics - is guilty of the band's worst excesses, says James Dalrymple
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Mercury Rev
Snowflake Midnight
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AMG Review of Snowflake Midnight
Heather Phares
All Music GuideMercury Rev are as at one with nature as ever on Snowflake Midnight, an album whose title reflects its delicately frosty electronics and late-night meditations perfectly. Jonathan Donahue is still an unabashed romantic, empathizing with a snowflake's plight on the album opener "Snowflake in a Hot World," finding deeper meaning in its fleeting beauty and individuality. Even though its exclamations ("You're not the same!") are a little over the top, the wide-eyed lyricism the band attempted on Secret Migration finds more focus and restraint on this song and throughout Snowflake Midnight. Instead of piling on more and more sounds and sentimental lyrics like they did with their previous album, here Mercury Rev simplify and let the music suggest moods, rather than making it too obvious how these songs should make listeners feel. "October Sunshine"'s Eno-esque synth washes capture a waning sunbeam so clearly you can almost see the dust particles hovering in it, and though "Senses on Fire" is little more than the title repeated over and over while beats and riffs surge and float, its in-the-moment joy makes it one of Snowflake Midnight's brightest highlights. A more minimal Mercury Rev is still pretty widescreen, though: "Butterfly's Wing" layers fluttery textures, masses of vocal harmonies, and children's laughter into something as majestic yet personal as anything on All Is Dream or Deserter's Songs. However, there are only a handful of epics on Snowflake Midnight, including the nearly eight-minute "Dream of a Young Girl as a Flower," which moves from dark electronics and to vibrant rock like night into day. While there are few stumbles -- "People Are So Unpredictable (There's No Bliss Like Home)" gets dangerously close to being overblown, and "Runaway Raindrop"'s oddly gurgling bass distracts from the rest of the track -- as a whole, Snowflake Midnight works as a soothing, gently inspiring song cycle, the likes of which Mercury Rev hasn't made since See You on the Other Side.
Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
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Mogstars: 6/10 It's hard to get through a Mercury Rev review without coming across certain words - dream-like, whimsical, fanciful… every word that can convey delicate beauty of the band's meandering psychedelica is almost destined to crop up. After18 years, you'd have thought the writers of the world could have come up with something different to say, but in reality Rev's sound is so indescrib.
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Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
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Mogstars: 6/10 It's hard to get through a Mercury Rev review without coming across certain words - dream-like, whimsical, fanciful… every word that can convey delicate beauty of the band's meandering psychedelica is almost destined to crop up. After18 years, you'd have thought the writers of the world could have come up with something different to say, but in reality Rev's sound is so indescrib.
More >
New! Mercury Rev's "Senses On Hold" off "Snowflake Midnight"
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We're got to wait until Sept. 29 for the new Mercury Rev album, Snowflake Midnight, but in the meantime check out this track off it.
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New Mercury Rev Video - "Butterfly's Wing"
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The psychedelic Upstate New Yorkers in Mercury Rev focus on a cat with butterfly wings and a flying elephant (who can shoot fireworks out of his trunk) in their video for Snowflake Midnight 's "Butterfly's Wing." But while the old "butterfly effect" saying uses China as an example, this clip focuses on a fantastical Japanese landscape complete with rice paper boats and jellyfish, twisty tree b...
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Mercury Rev remixed by Fujiya & Miyagi | Jape remixed by Friendly Fires
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What an awesome way to start the day before my birthday. Two new remixes from two stellar artists end up in my inbox, remixed by two of my current favorite remixers/performers/disco savants — Fujiya & Miyagi and Friendly Fires, each of whom have recently released albums which shine rather brightly of their own accord. The [...]
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Mercury Miyagi
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"Senses On Fire" was the first single to be taken from Mercury Rev's new album, their seventh, which released last month and marked the return of a reinvigorated Mercury Rev. They are due to release their next single from the album on November 17th, and here's where it gets good. The Rev will also release a special 12" remix package featuring two fantastic remixes by Isan and Carlos Anthony M...
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Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
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Mercury Rev's latest - dominated by synths and electronics - is guilty of the band's worst excesses, says James Dalrymple
More >
News: Mercury Rev to play NYC; get ready for Snowflake Midnight
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--- - |- (photo by VK Red Duvivier) On September 10, at NYC's avant garde leader John Zorn's space The Stone, Mercury Rev will perform two shows called "Trip Over the Light Fantastic", revolving around old material and new material from their upcoming... ~~- Mercury Rev
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Mercury Rev releases 2 new album, 1 goes home for FREE
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There are 2 brand new Mercury Rev albums that were release today. Snowflake Midnight, lauded by critics as a "wide-eyed triumph" is available now on CD & 180gm vinyl, not to mention digitally, from all of the usual suspects (iTunes).& Strange Attractor a full-length album that includes 11 FREE tracks. This album is absolutely FREE to download right now for anyone who chooses to do so. Simply cl...
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 "Snowflake Midnight")
