The Secret Migration＜限定盤＞

On The Secret Migration, Mercury Rev express how love can be both incredibly intimate and universal-feeling at the same time. If any band could capture that dichotomy, its them: on Deserters Songs and All Is Dream, they found a way to blend the epic sound that theyd been known for in the Boces and See You on the Other Side days with more personal songwriting. Over time, Jonathan Donahue has gone from being an extremely abstract lyricist to a remarkably literal one. Donahue and the rest of the band deserve credit for being so emotionally naked, but in some ways, its easier to connect to words like Wanna ask but I just stare/Can I run my hands through your car wash hair than Down Poured the Heavens I praise the god sublime/Who let this fallen angel/Into this world of mine. The bands sound is as epic and ethereal as ever, and the album soars on Across Yer Ocean and Vermillion. First-Time Mothers Joy (Flying) takes the opposite approach, with restrained sonics and lyrics that are so unabashedly sentimental that they actually are pretty affecting. In a Funny Way is hands-down The Secret Migrations best track, capturing the joy the rest of the album wants to convey with a mildly trippy, sitar- and brass-driven arrangement that nods to Mercury Revs musical past without rehashing it. ~ Heather Phares

Mercury Rev excels at creating epic rock soundscapes that mix late-period Beatles melodicism, shoegazer guitars, electronics, and a quirky sensibility with sparkling sonic detail. THE SECRET MIGRATION continues that tradition. From the opening track, Secret for a Song, which begins with a gentle electronic murmur before bursting into an expansive wash of instruments (and singer Jonathan Donahues distinctive voice), the album gives the sense of having entered a vast, deep cavern full of swirling spirits and imaginary, whispering creatures. The lyrical content also draws the listener into this otherworld, referencing dark forests, shimmering leaves, white horses, vast oceans, and dragonfly rides. Black Forest (Lorelei) evokes the classic imagery of fantasy novels, while the more personal Diamonds describes a kind of synesthesia in which stars, leaves, eyes, and hearts are melded into a single gesture of love. Across Yer Ocean, one of the albums highlights, has a memorable melody that feels as wide as the songs central metaphor. Throughout THE SECRET MIGRATION, Mercury Rev avoids preciousness with the credibility and force of their music, which is sonically cohesive and absorbing.

じつに3年半ぶり、6作目となる待望のニュー・アルバム!　プロデューサーは当然今回も盟友デイヴ・フリッドマン。毎回アルバム・タイトルがその作品内容のすべてを語る彼ら、前作が『All Is Dream』ならば今作は〈秘めたる移住〉。前作で頂点を極めたサイケ・ギター大宇宙の余韻を残しながらも、メロディアスなピアノや美しくも妖しげに舞い降りるシンセをはじめ、その長きキャリアにして清々しくも新たな境地に到達した力作!!
bounce (C)鈴木 健文