I'll call it like I see it, Strange Attractor is not the greatest piece of work in the Mercury Rev catalogue. But nobody expected it to be.
Strange Attractor is the free instrumental album and companion piece to the proper record Snowflake Midnight. All you need to do to get your copy of the 11-track effort is submit your name to the Mercury Rev mailing list (here).
On the album, the Buffalo band renowned for the sweeping cinematic feel of their records, branches out a bit to delve into electronic aspects we aren't used to hearing from them. After a couple of so-so studio albums, the attempt at something new is welcome; even if it's not always successful.
Many of the songs do end up blending into one another. However, like much of the Mercury Rev oeuvre, it is perfect for a stormy candlelit evening.
While Strange Attractor may not be any better than other recent instrumental albums (I'm thinking Mogwai's Hawk Is Howling: Review), I think it wins out on price...it's free dammit!
I'll post a review of the real album, Snowflake Midnight, as soon as I get a chance to listen a few more times.
Mercury Rev play the Opera House in Toronto on December 12th with Dean & Britta.
Track listing for Strange Attractor:
- Love Is Pure
- Taken Up Into Clouds, Changed, and Rained Down
- Pure Jioe DeLa Solitude
- Persistence and the Apis Mellifera
- Fable Of a Silver Moon
- Loop, Lisse, Loop
- In My Heart, A Strange Attractor
- Incident On Abeel Street
- Af Den Fader Kommer Den Sol
- Because Because Because
- Nocturne For Norwood
6.0
1 praise/complaints:
I agree it's not the best thing they've done, and I haven't heard the new "proper" album, but this appeals more than the last couple of albums they've done. Feels like they lifted the rock and crawled under it rather than sunning themselves on top of it.
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