Deserter's Songs

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Tue Apr 27 2021

4

This sounds like the Flaming Lips' lesser known cousin. A little bit more delicate, a little more misunderstood. I can envision someone putting this on in an apartment in 2004, taking a massive bong rip, sinking into a couch, and fantasizing about making out with Zooey Deschanel. Take that picture, put it inside a snow globe, add a healthy dusting of glitter, and you've got yourself this album. All kidding aside, this was a quite nice surprise, especially after the garbage lineup from last week. A little too precious at moments for me, so not a full fiver, but definitely gets me as hard as a leaked Zooey Deschanel nudie.

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Fri Jan 01 2021

5

Holes alone is a 5.

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Mon Dec 19 2022

5

This is one of those albums that has grown on me over the years. From originally thinking of it as a good album but not holding much sway over me, to sinking into my brain and becoming a favourite of mine. In this album they come off as a psychedelic R.E.M. swirling around the edges of dream pop tinged Americana. At first I found Jonathan Donahue's vocals left me on edge but now they have a calmling quality over me

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Fri Jul 23 2021

4

J'ai bien aimé Deserter's Songs même si le sujet abordé me paraît assez léger. Cet album raconte l'histoire d'un jeune lycéen fumant des chichas goût double pomme un soir où ses parents sont sortis au cinéma. Après un geste maladroit, il renverse le charbon sur le parquet, qui se retrouve brûlé. Il décide alors de casser l'ampoule qui éclaire la chambre et de disposer ses morceaux sur la partie noircie du parquet. Ses parents rentrent vers minuit et découvrent avec stupéfaction les dégâts causés par la pipe à eau. Il ne croient pas un mot de ce que leur raconte leur fils, le chanteur des Mercury Rev, et lui ordonnent de faire ses valises et de quitter le domicile familial.

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Sun Aug 06 2023

5

Yeah I am very shocked at how good this album is, this is such an incredibly formatted album with a unique sound on every track. I love the ethereal and psychedelic pop sound that is delivered throughout here, most tracks have me floating. The lows are still decent, but the highs are fucking incredible. Favourites: Holes / Tonite It Shows / Endlessly / I Collect Coins / Opus 40 / The Funny Bird / Pick It Up If You're There

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Sun Jan 03 2021

4

This band flopped commercially and decided to make one album for themselves before breaking up, and this was the result. It grabbed my attention and didn't let go. There's a bit too much of the musical saw, and the singing is a bit weak, but they don't lack for heart, and it shines through. Not what I expected when I spun it up. Best track: Holes

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Fri Feb 12 2021

4

This is probably Mercury Rev’s most popular record and for good reason. The amalgamation of alternative rock, pop tendencies and weirdo instrumentation is pretty great here. I had heard some Mercury Rev before this but never a full album, glad I listened to this one. Favorite song: Goddess on a Hiway Least favorite song: Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp

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Sun Jan 17 2021

4

Sounds like Flaming Lips a bit. (Turns out this album was being made in the same studio with the same producer as Soft Bulletin :0)

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Wed Apr 13 2022

2

Man, that's an album that feels dated. And not dated to 1998, when it came out, but dated to somewhere around the middle of the 60s. And not in a good way. I was going to give it a "meh" 3-star review but there were multiple saxophone solos which lost it another star.

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Tue Sep 22 2020

5

That was beautiful

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Thu Jun 17 2021

5

Very flaming lips

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Fri Mar 19 2021

5

That first song has some amazing vocals. His voice sounds a lot like a different singer I know who's name escaped my mind. Love the harmony of the music and the voice. It's quite soothing.

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Sun Mar 07 2021

5

I love this record. It’s nice to revisit it.

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Tue Apr 27 2021

5

Never heard this album before—maybe the first song on a Pandora station once. It was like Daniel Johnston and Flaming Lips but with better composition. Like the flaming lips simple but thick bass lines and drum beats filled the back end and twangy voices and guitars, saws, synths, theramyns filled the high end. A lot of weird but well made compositions, very fairytale fantasy, but also with an edge of darkness—a magic mushroom fantasy land. I would love to see this band live, their breakdowns and crescendos are something to behold, almost god speed you. Kitschy, odd, cool, psychedelic, playful, dark, satirical all words I’d use to describe this, all things I love. I want to ding them for “Opus 40s” melody being ripped off of the Beatles “Golden Slumbers” chorus. But I’m not. Added to the library and Unexpectedly a 5.

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Mon May 17 2021

5

fucking incredible

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Tue May 18 2021

5

Dónde ha estado este disco toda mi vida

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Fri Jul 02 2021

5

very good stuff i will listen to this bands other discography this was a good album!

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Mon Aug 23 2021

5

wonderful example of the nineties psychedelic/shoegaze pop. in the same vein as flaming lips and mazzy star. really enjoyed the spaced out instrumentation and ethereal textures. feels like im stoned or dead

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Wed Oct 13 2021

5

Magnificent from start to finish.

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Thu Dec 16 2021

5

Another band I was familiar with by name only so I had no idea what to expect from this Buffalo NY band - within 20 seconds I thought of the Flaming Lips (having been introduced to them by the otherworldly "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"). Apparently the two bands are or have been connected so I wasn't too far off... ...and in terms of immediate impact on me it is/was the same: I immediately had to stop what I was doing to listen to "Holes" which has a cinematic feel to it, almost visual in its melodies, which continues throughout the album. A vast array of instrumentation - strings, horns, woodwinds, keyboards - make each song consistently engaging; the songwriting keeps each song evolving. If there's a negative that I'm sure will be noted, it could be the fluttery and maybe... not-so-textbook lead vocals :D - I could definitely see that being a turnoff for some but instead for me it works perfectly with and for the music, bringing a vulnerability to the gorgeous and haunting melodies. Overall this is an amazing experience and - like many great albums - not too long at 45 minutes; like "Yoshimi..." before it this album was a revelation for me. If you look for something a bit different yet terrifically melodic and ultimately re-playable (assuming so - I'm on my 3rd spin of it today) this is an absolute keeper. 9/10 5 stars.

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Sun Dec 19 2021

5

that album was so gosh darn beautiful that I listened to it again immediately after finishing it the first time definitely one of those albums too good for me to rate it’s not my FAVORITE album but it’s absolutely in the top five its got so many diverse songs that hit that sweet spot of different genres I’m a sucker for Holes reminded me of Beach House I Collect Coins gave me major Caretaker vibes and The Funny Bird kinda sounded like Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy overall just such an incredible album I’ll try looking into their other stuff if it holds up the same quality

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Thu Jan 27 2022

5

Never heard this before - so good.

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Fri Jan 28 2022

5

I remember getting a dodgy copy of this out of curiosity from a lad at our school who'd got a CD burner, on the strength of Goddess on a Hiway. Holes, Tonite It Shows and Endlessly are a great opening trio, and open up this world of slightly pop, slightly odd miniature symphonic pop. It's so wonderful. I Collect Coins is a nice, slight palate cleanser after that, then Opus 40 is straight back with the beauty again. Then, finally, a did, with the bland Hudson Line. Then another palate cleanser with The Happy End - given its subtitle it's surprisingly enjoyable! Then the sublime Goddess on a Hiway. Just a perfect single. Every note, every play on words adds to it's slightly sinister beauty. It then goes very dark, and slightly less food for a couple of tracks, before going big and joyous to finish with Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. All in all, a joyous, moving experience.

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Fri Feb 18 2022

5

very good, eclectic interesting sound. Very good with repeated plays.

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Wed Apr 27 2022

5

The half-sister of the Flaming Lips' 'The Soft Bulletin', I've had a soft spot for this album for many years. Delicate and emotive music that rises and falls, with Jonathan Donahue's feeble and vulnerable voice sitting beautifully amongst the quiet moments and riding the crescendos of the weirdly instrumented music. Listening with an objective and critical ear, it could be said that about half of the tracks are quite forgettable. However, as a piece it is much greater than the sum of its parts and is really quite sublime. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Goddess on a Hiway Date listened: 26/04/22

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Fri May 20 2022

5

Very chill, beautiful and an easy listen. I really liked this. Some of the songs here make me feel emotions that don't exist. "Goddess on a Hiway" was amazing, so were all the songs after it, finishing off with "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp". "I Collect Coins" reminds me of something and I can't put my finger on it.. really, there were no bad songs here. I don't have anything to complain about.

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Sun Jul 17 2022

5

Genius album one of the finest.

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Sun Jul 24 2022

5

This album felt like not only multiple genres coming together, but multiple eras as well. It transitioned between themes really well and the songwriting was sneakily intricate. Probably my favorite discovery so far

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Wed Aug 31 2022

5

Had MR down as a fairly experimental band. Their previous albums were fine, but then they suddenly came up with a highly accessible pop album. Perfect sequencing. Perfect atmosphere and very strong song-writing. My favourite record from 1998.

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Fri Oct 07 2022

5

Kind of a Tim Burton twist on The Flaming Lips. I like.

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Fri Oct 07 2022

5

WOW. This hit much harder than I anticipated. Dynamic, perfectly sequenced, powerful, interesting, emotional. Can't believe I'd never heard of them before. I was going to write about how they share the same vibe as the Flaming Lips, but then I read their wikipedia page and saw that was way more accurate than I could have thought!

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Wed Oct 12 2022

5

Absolutely loved this, great discovery for me, thank you

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Thu Oct 13 2022

5

This album is what I think psychedelic sound like, the great combination of instruments and the changes in the voice give it a beautiful sound. The first song alone it's great, however the following songs are just good too. In between some songs there are some recordings that gives the album a more natural look.

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Sun Nov 13 2022

5

An album which grows greater the older it gets. The links with The Band are clear here - Levon Helm appears on one track - with this an updated ghost tour through American history. I like to imagine they're driving through deserted gas stations and tumble down wooden shops on Highway 66.

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Mon Nov 14 2022

5

WOW. the website made a strong first impression. holy wow. how is this totally my shit...? wowza.

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Fri Jan 06 2023

5

Never heard of this album or group. - Sounds like a movie soundtrack - Very dreamy and melancholic - During "Endlessly" there's a part that sounds like 'Silent Night' - Opus 40: "Tears in waves, minds on fire"

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Fri Jan 13 2023

5

kinda weird I played that right before flaming lips as they sound so similar. Feeling generous but I feel like this album is a good 4.5

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Wed Feb 08 2023

5

I loved the whimsy and experimentation of this. A new favorite!

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Thu Feb 09 2023

5

This album pulled me in immediately with Holes and it didn’t disappoint from there. This is a beautifully intricate album, it sounds meticulous and messy at the same time. The vocals accompanied the breezy notes perfectly. I really enjoyed their use of what I thought was a Theremin or straight up saw but apparently they patented their own instrument called a Tettis Wave Accumulator, so that’s pretty neat. I didn’t expect to be handing out a 5 to this one but here we are, this was great. 5 stars

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Sun Apr 09 2023

5

Sometimes the drugs do work

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Thu May 25 2023

5

The only question is whether Hudson Line stops this album being 5 ⭐️ or not? It is extraordinary in so many ways - a big, ambitious sound that keeps an incredible psychedelic sound all the way through Hudson Line doesn’t fit the feel or sound of the album at all and has always felt jarring But the rest is so good I think we’ll go for full marks The wailing guitar on Funny Bird probably makes up for it all by itself

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Thu Jun 15 2023

5

Totaly new for me and i love it!

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Fri Sep 22 2023

5

4.5/5

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Fri Dec 04 2020

4

i enjoyed this

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Tue Oct 06 2020

4

much better then I though it would be

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Tue Oct 27 2020

4

This helped me understood what made Mark Linkous and Sparklehorse so wonderful. The vocals took some getting used to. Certain instruments came across as cheap, especially the flutes at the beginning and some of the organ throughout. But while I can do without cheap flute, give me cheesy organ licks seven days a week.

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Thu Oct 01 2020

4

I had to double-take that this wasn't a Flaming Lips album. Recording history makes sense. Holes, Opus 40, and Goddess are particular highlights. Great album overall.

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Thu Apr 08 2021

4

Ret spændende album. Nærmest som et film musik album til en Tim Burton film. Lugter lidt af Queen og har mange gode numre på. Kunne sagtens tåle et genlyt

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Thu Jul 15 2021

4

Surprisingly good, got lots of Pink Floyd vibes from the instrumental parts

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Wed May 05 2021

4

Another cool post-punk pre-alternative album. I thought this one was interesting. There are times when it sounds like Bruce Springsteen, albeit with much different subject matter. It's easy to see the seeds of a lot of the music I grew up with in the 90s in this album. It goes by really fast, but every song is solid 4/5

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Tue Jan 19 2021

4

floaty, ethereal. there were saws and possibly theramins at parts. really interesting album and I enjoyed it a lot.

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Wed Jan 27 2021

4

So cool!

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Fri Feb 26 2021

4

Didn’t have time to get all the way through but it was intriguingly weird. 3.75

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Fri Jan 22 2021

4

Like the flaming lips made sgt peppers. Very full sound with interesting choice of instruments

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Sun Mar 21 2021

4

Nice rock with character

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Fri Feb 12 2021

4

Not really my thing but it was good.

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Tue Jan 19 2021

4

I didn't appreciate this album at the time because I was 🤘 VERY METAL 🤘 but these days it really hits the spot. You could definitely make some Flaming Lips comparisons. Fave track - while "Goddess On A Hiway" and "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" are contenders, I have to go with "Holes"..... so b e a u t i f u l . . .

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Fri Feb 12 2021

4

took me back. not sure that I'd ever actually listened to the whole thing

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Sun Feb 28 2021

4

Wasn’t expecting much, and didn’t get much from the early album. But the second half really turned it up! Loved the way it moved between genres. Excited to play this again

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Mon Jul 12 2021

4

A lot of it sounded cool and sad but I lost interest in most of the sound just over halfway through. 7

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Mon Jul 12 2021

4

8/10. Really chill, and pleasant to listen to. Had some fairly interesting instrumental sections. Lyrics were present when they needed to be, and were well written when they were present.

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Thu Jun 17 2021

4

love this - still have cd in the car

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Thu Jun 17 2021

4

Yeah ok

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Mon May 31 2021

4

Beautiful album. Sounds as fresh as it did back in 1998.

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Sun Jul 04 2021

4

Very nice, fantastic background music to listen to while working. I'll save and re-listen to the album for that purpose. Still 4 and not 5 stars, because after one listen I find it hard to recall much of the music apart from that it was enjoyable.

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Fri Jun 11 2021

4

I love being surprised. This is very good.

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Sun Jun 13 2021

4

Loved it.

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Mon Jul 19 2021

4

Beautiful, lush orchestral indie with a good variety of songs and sounds.

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Mon May 10 2021

4

beautiful - psychedelic and fun. love the trumpets, so pretty. feels like a mix of shoegaze and American folk music. good to work to!

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Thu Jun 17 2021

4

needs a second listen

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Fri Jul 23 2021

4

Le générateur est en réelle perte de vitesse en ce moment, Nikos parlerait même de "bad buzz" pour l'outil de Robert. A suivre.

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Fri Jul 23 2021

4

I dig how cinematic a lot of these arrangements are. I totally hear the similarities to The Soft Bulletin, it’s like they’re two sides to the same coin. Very cool.

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Tue Jul 27 2021

4

Nice little gem here from Mercury Rev. They're often compared to a mellower Flaming Lips which is understandable. Some great post rock, psychadelic song-writing and melodies here and Holes, Goddess on a hiway and Opus 40 are highlights.

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Tue Jul 27 2021

4

Spotify has sent me "Holes" a few times in the last year & I had Goddess on the Highway on high rotation back in the day. The rest I hadn't heard. I'm impressed with the arrangements/orchestration and background vocalists. I like the blend of electronic and traditional instrumentation - and it seems like the members of The Band influenced the sound - although I'm sure mostly in my mind, since they only played on two tracks. The song-writing is great, The Funny Bird is epic, and I may have given a higher score with a stronger lead vocals.

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Wed Jul 28 2021

4

Some really great moments on the album that overshadow some of the lesser “trippy” elements

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Tue Aug 10 2021

4

Great vocals. Smooth vocals and harmony. Chamber pop indeed. Loved the use of strings.

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Fri Aug 20 2021

4

We had not heard of this band. Some really neat moments, very Beatles inspired, but some parts were a bit uninspired - they could have added more variation and countermelodies instead of more theremin.

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Mon Aug 23 2021

4

A great surprise

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Tue Aug 31 2021

4

I did not expect that... good album.

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Fri Sep 24 2021

4

Very good early indie rock. Not perfect, but a fun ride.

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Wed Sep 29 2021

4

yeah mostly enjoyed this. Goddess on a highway is one of my all time tunes, rest is a 2/3 out of 5 so 3.5

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Wed Nov 03 2021

4

Melodic, and somewhat eccentric musically as well as lyrically sort of imposing a feel that it is a time for stories. While it certainly is not Pink Floyd, one cannot at the least make a weak comparison before dismissing the idea altogether as rubbish, and then have an existential crisis of why this happened at all. Given how a flute is featured pretty heavily, one almost feels a bit offended when they resort to whistling on "Opus 40" but whatever. The flute is actually quite nice, contributing heavily, if not entirely, to the melodic tendencies of the band. "The Happy End" did end up including a saxophone but in the minimum effective dose, which this listener is grateful for. There are moments of obvious repetitiveness, speaking to the rise of experimental rock that one might have encountered within the independent rock scene in the late 90s, "The Happy End" being an example of that in its final minute(s). Overall, the album is pretty good. Music is a prime example of where its beauty is certainly in the ear of its listener. Mercury Rev's "Deserter's Songs" is a beautiful album but if it were to be accused of being bored, one could understand why someone else may feel that way and not hold it against them.

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Fri Nov 05 2021

4

Very Tim Burton-esque soundscapes. Their formula wears a little thin in the middle, but the album is better than I remember it.

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Wed Nov 10 2021

4

Scrapes a 4, mainly for nostalgia

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Fri Nov 26 2021

4

Kolejny ciekawy albumik na liscie, tym razem cos bardziej rokowego, ale dosyc eksperymentalnego, wiec idealnie wpisuje sie w alternatywe lat 90, jak czwarty album w dyskografii bandy Mercury Rev, pochodzacej ze stanu nowy york, plyta wydana w 98, to skad pochodzi banda ma znaczenie, bo w liryce przemyconych jest sporo nawiazan do danych miejsc, wiec tutaj jakies skalki sie pojawiaja, tam linie pociagowe, no i najwazniejsze, nie jest to kolejny brytyjski album zalany synthami, ktore ustepuja na tym materiale miejsca bardziej symfonicznym brzmieniom, wiec pojawiaja sie zarowno smyczki, flety i przedziwne instrumenty ktorych nazwy widze pierwszy raz w zyciu, a buduja one klimat niesamowitej dziwnosci, ktory wydaje sie byc motywem przewodnim nagrania, dla ktorego inspiracja mialy byc tale spinners for children, wiec opowiadania bajeczek z orkiestra robiaca do nich muzyke, dodatkowo album powstawal po komercyjnym fiasku poprzednich plyt, wiec rownie dobrze moglo to byc ostatnie bandy, wiec z takiej depresji Jonathan Donahue, ktory jest autorem prawie wszystkich tekstow i glownym wokalem, postawil na proste brzmienie, ktore bedzie mialo w sobie cos filmowego, bo momentami, zwlaszcza tymi calkowicie instrumentalnymi slucha sie tego jak jakiegos tajemnicznego soundtracka, moze to przez niecodziene wykorzystanie tasmy filmowej jako nosnika nagraniowego, bo jest cos unikalnego w dzwieku tego nagrania, co najlepiej slychac na dobrej jakosci flaku prosto z soulseeka, 3 kawalki na plycie to instrumentale, wiec jesli wczoraj byl albumik, ktory skupia sie wokol liryki, tak dzisiaj strona instrumentalna zdaje sie byc ta wazniejsza, ku mojej niespodziance album ukazal sie rowniez w wersji instrumentalnej, wiec widze, ze moje odczucia nie byly osamotnione, bo same instrumentale moga robic za dzielo same w sobie w tym wypadku, po guglowaniu dziwnych gatunkow wyszlo, ze deserterowe songi mozna takze przepchnac jako chamber pop, wiec muzyka popularna, ale bogata o przemyslne kompozycje oparte o wieloinstrumentalne brzmienia rodem z wystepow orkiestrowych, co dosc dobrze oddaje kompozycje tego krazka, ciezko sie doszukac jaki byl sklad bandy podczas nagran, ale wydaje mi sie, zespol posiada czterech glownych czlonkow, wspomnianego Donahue, Grasshoppera i Chandlera i Dave Fridmanna, ten ostatni razem z Donahue wyprodukowal albumik, a jest to ta sama osoba ktora czuwala nad sukcesem MGMT oraz ich oracular spectacular, wiec wiadomo skad takie ciekawe podejscie do dzwieku, z plejkowych pickow dodam 3 najbardziej popowe songi, ktore wedlug spotifaja sa takze jednymi z najlepiej odtwarzanych piosenek zespolu, a bedzie to otwierajacy kawalek holes, opus 40 i goddess on hiway, czuje jakby ostatnio za duzo dobrej muzyki losowalo, ale to przeciez lista topowych albumikow, wiec slabych zawodnikow nie ma zbyt wielu, chyba ze synthy wyspiarskie

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Wed Dec 01 2021

4

Delicate without being wishy washy. Weird without being too 'experimental'

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Wed Dec 15 2021

4

12/13/2021 Today's Album: "Deserter's Songs" by Mercury Rev - This album is incredibly interesting. It sort of reads like if the Moody Blues did a psychedelic rock album along the lines of the Flaming Lips or Ween. It's very colorful and full of life and rich instrumentation at some moments, and in others it can get simply haunting or scary. The ambient track "I Collect Coins" almost like Everywhere at the End of Time, with crackly ballroom music with creepy chord progressions. I was road tripping when it came on and it literally made the world feel fake for a second. This album is definitely very backloaded, with a lot of the best songs being on the second half. The album really kicks off with Opus 40, with a really fun psyche pop song with some fun vocals and soloing. Hudson Line is a very similar mood, almost feeling like a rock version of a Paul Simon type song. Goddess on a Hiway is a nice swinging rock track with lots of ringing bells and a really solid chorus. The Funny Bird is a killer song just strictly talking about the performances and solos, but I'm not crazy about the vocals (which are fortunately in about only a quarter of the track). Pick Up If You're There is another ambient this track, but this one has these really cool synth lines and piano chords. It almost feels like if treefingers by Radiohead was good. Finally, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp is a great finisher to this album. Although, I could see how the ending could be annoying to some. To me, it was probably extremely weird and innovative at the time, but now it just sounds like random bits of penis music. Its actually hilarious. This album overall has some really good tracks, but a lot of it seemed like it was trying too hard to be experimental and it didn't really pan out. The first few songs also drag on a bit long and are a lil too samey. Score: 7/10 Weak start but solid finish. Overal decent. Highlights: Opus 40, Goddess on a Hiway, Pick Up If You're There, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.

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Wed Dec 29 2021

4

I can't really detach this from the halcyon days of XFM etc. Still a good 'un.

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Thu Dec 30 2021

4

I liked this, pretty good 90s rock with some good songs.

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Fri Jan 07 2022

4

I really enjoyed this & will be spending more time with it! There is some very beautiful music in here- especially liked Tonite it Shows, the poetry that is the lyrics of Opus 40 & highlight for me is Endlessly. So melodic, it's the sound birds make when twirling around Cinderella or Snow White's beautiful kind head. And I've spent so many hours playing the eerie melody that is Silent Night just so lovely.

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Fri Jan 14 2022

4

Great album. Really like the arrangements and instrumentation used on the songs

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Thu Jan 27 2022

4

Singende Säge und Weihnachts-Kiffness. Teils mit den Flaming Lips zu verwechseln, aber dafür dann doch noch mehr Kautz statt Hubba Bubba mit Hang zur tiefgründigen und doch nicht völlig überfrachteten Soundschichtung. Live an einem Primavera Sonntag haben sie alle müden Feierzombies in eine warme und liebevolle Umarmung geschmiegt 3.5

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Sun Jan 30 2022

4

Please come back, we like you

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Wed Feb 09 2022

4

Enjoyed this one. Bit hit and miss but the hit was pretty cool.

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Mon Mar 07 2022

4

I've heard a couple of tracks at the time on the radio and liked them but never listened to the whole album until now but it's quirky and upbeat. I can understand the singers voice might grate for some but I think it works in the context of the band. Wildly differing tracks and sounds (eg: listen right to the end of Delta Sub) but I kinda think it hangs together ok. Favourite tracks Holes (love the theramin), Goddess and Funny Bird.

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Fri Apr 08 2022

4

4.3 - What an exciting discovery! I never knew "The Soft Bulletin" has a sister album. The parallels between the two records is undeniable. I heard it from the beginning not knowing much about "Deserter's Songs." David Fridmann's discography is vast and impressive. The flow of this album is amazing, from gently orchestrated pop songs to instrumentals featuring theramin. It's dense with atmosphere and explores a vast emotional landscape.

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Wed Apr 27 2022

4

I really like Mercury Rev. If anything more than Flaming Lips who they share much of their DNA with....and production duties. This album is their poppiest and the songs never outstay their welcome and are enjoyably melodious.

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Fri May 06 2022

4

How is the album almost 25 years old? Gosh. I knew the singles from back in the day, but never really explored the album. My loss. Holes and Goddess remain outstanding. Such quality, crafted songs. The understated vocals draw you in. Quality listening.

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Wed Jun 01 2022

4

An absolutely gorgeous album, perfectly paced, beautifully produced / orchestrated and songs that are so full of beautiful melodies that stay with you. I was introduced to Mercury Rev through All is Dream and I still think it is the stronger album overall but the higher high points belong to Desserters Songs. 4.5 🌟

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Thu Jun 02 2022

4

First Time Listen and I am quietly impressed, Some lovely tunes in an understated way here. Good use of the Theremin throughout. Can see links to Wayne Coyne and Flaming Lips here, really lovely album. I particularly liked "Holes" "Endlessly" "Hudson Line" and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.

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