Mercury Rev
The Secret Migration
(V2)

For 80 seconds, Mercury Rev achieves a state of musical bliss. “Moving On,” the shortest track on the band’s new 13-song CD, is all lush vocals and hopeful sentiment. Yeah, the song’s a little sappy, but it still rises to Beach Boys-like grace. Powered by singer Jonathan Donahue’s dreamy vocals, Mercury Rev has been described as an “American Pink Floyd.” Not a bad thing for a band to be.

The group’s early recordings were made as soundtracks to experimental films, and a psychedelic, spacey vibe still floats throughout the music. Mercury Rev uses that energy on “The Secret Migration” to explore the different stages and kinds of love. Every song on the album is a love song, and the album is meant as a journey. One of the highlights is “In a Funny Way,” which captures a sense of carefree ecstasy that the band strives for. Other songs don’t fare as well. The group has an ambitious streak a mile long, and sometimes that leaves Mercury Rev over reaching, delivering lines like “If I was a white horse … an’ offered you a ride … Thru a black forest.” Even these lines, however, are drenched in sonic richness. Mercury Rev fans will find the migration to be an intriguing and worthwhile trip. - D. Kimura