Deserter's Songs

un gros 3.5 fort. Je vais mettre 4. Un album bien fait, pas de compromis, avec beaucoup de moment interessants. J'y reviendrai et je vais me le procurer.

C'est un 3,5 étoiles fort, et ça deviendrait sûrement 4 après quelques écoutes supplémentaires. Album intéressant à creuser, avec rien de négatif à dire. Groupe à l'approche artistique forte, qui fait ce qu'il a envie de faire.

M'a beaucoup fait penser à The Soft Bulletin mais moins bon en tous points. Content d'avoir écouté quand même. Je l’ai ajouté à ma collection et y donnerai peut-être une autre chance. C'est comme juste sur le bord d'être quelque chose que je pourrais aimer beaucoup... mais pas tout à fait. Un gros 3.49.

Although a fan of the records that precede and follow (See You On the Other Side moreso than All Is Dream), I've never had a firm grasp on Deserter Songs. Perhaps the significant kudos placed on the record at the time set the bar too high. With some distance, it is a less expansive and ornate album than I remember or, at least, how I remember it being discussed. The strings aren't so lush and the theremin does a lot of work. It is, in fact, a much smaller record than the hype suggested and, while the music is frequently cosmic, it is the feeling of looking up at the stars rather than being among them. The record should be listened to laying on your back, whether in the cosmic moments or the somnambulistic. Although some of that is fun, Hudson Line and The Happy End lose the run of themselves quickly and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp is never under control. See You On the Other Side, by comparison, edges even further into cacophony, but never sounds chaotic. That record is more energetic, while All Is Dream is more lush and Deserter Songs can't support its own weight or the weight that was heaped upon it. Still, the organ flourish at 3.10 in Goddess on a Hiway is the single greatest achievement in the band's career. Is that Garth Hudson? 2 I love the first minute and a half of Holes. I find it has the same haunting quality as the beginning of the Beatles’ Day in the Life - perhaps partly by sounding a bit like it I suppose; a sweet, see-sawing opening major chord crumpling into minor; a lonely phrase waiting on its friends dropping in. The Beatles accomplish this effect in seconds and with a great deal of elegance. But it still works nicely stretched out over that first minute and a half - the melody a looping four-note holding fragment while various players wander in from the darkness. It’s just as well the start is so good because the rest of the song, indeed the rest of the album, is balls. As soon as that clutter of instruments led by the drums kicks in - the atrocious bowed saw starting its daft wail, the putrid melodrama of the strings and horns (‘cinematic’ I think is the generous term) - the whole illusion falls apart. There is no songwriting, just posing. No craft, just the extrapolation of a shoddy philosophy and its accompanying tricks; why take a clear musical idea and develop it when you can just pile up voices playing looped ideas and seem as sophisticated? And the song structures? Where there isn’t just witless repetition with pauses - Holes, Endlessly - there are verses and choruses slapped together like a couple of stickle bricks - Opus 40, Goddess on a Highway. This is puerile, cowardly music-making. Still…it wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fucking lyrics. To return to Holes for a moment; if this song begins with the album’s best music - it ends with its worst lyric. Which is saying something for an album that has Goddess on a Highway on it. ‘Bands/ those funny little Plans/ that never work quite right’. At least ‘Holes’ properly rhymes with ‘Moles’ in the previous verse. But it’s the failed attempt at some kind of confessional insight that really makes this an arse-clencher of a line. Even if you’d said it well - why would you think that the slings and arrows of your few years of being in a band would be worthy of the 5 minutes of Barber’s Adagio-mugging grandeur that preceded this poetically empty little toad of a line? Just say something else vague about ‘time’ you idiot. Still….it wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the singing. Levon Helm and Garth Hudson are on this record. 1.5/5

The Flaming Lips, but boring.

Poetic album. Top notch.

Eh. Not for me.

Nothing to write home about.

A couple of highlights, but an average album.

3.5

A very nice album! A couple of real standout tracks (Goddess on a Hiway was my clear favorite) and a very enjoyable tone throughout. My first exposure to Mercury Rev and I enjoyed the experience.

I was immediately reminded of The Flaming Lips, and after reading up on them a bit, yeah, that makes sense. There's some lovely production on this album that's engaging in a very soothing way. I don't want to listen again right away, but I'll definitely give this another spin sometime because I could see this growing on me a lot. High 3.

This one was good, but forgettable somehow. There is not any other way I can describe it. When listening, I liked most of the material, but now, writing about it, I just can't remember any single song. Strange, that. 3/5

Don't like this at all.

Kind of a flaming lips feel at times. Enjoyed most of this album

Meh

I have never in my life heard a song like Tonite It Show, where the music sounds like the town theme for a SNES/PS1 era Final Fantasy town, and the vocals/lyrics sound like they’re from a Muppet Movie. 3.5 Stars

At times grating (that damn whining sound!) and forgettable, but there are some genuinely great decisions made in this thing. Probably need more listens and more drugs to fully understand the sound they're going for.

Absolutely brilliant. Really enjoyed it

Kinda interesting but ultimately let down by really pants vocals. I would guess a youth obsessed with Punk has ruined Dimery's ability to spot when a vocal holds music back.

Too much theremin and other warbling effects, too little singing ability. Deserved to be a 1-star album but saved by a couple surprise gems.

Meh

Nice and all. But not very inspiring. Wish we had half stars. This would be 3.5

Surpisingly good, definitely my vibe. There are some great anthems on this thing. Nice and unique sound

Found the singer's voice hard to enjoy for the first half but they came swinging in the second half. The Funny Bird is one of my favorites.

Ethereal and dreamy. Really lovely moody album that I wish I would have discovered way earlier.

One of the best uses of a saw outside of a Halloween CD I have ever heard .. with that said "Happy Ending" is super eerie. But overall it was tolerable. As previously stated, I am trying to be kind to the 90s.

Hmm. Doesn't sound too bad but also not entirely my thing?

i had never heard of Mercury Rev before today and i fell in love with this album within the first minute. creative, poetic, catchy as hell when it's not being weird as hell, this might be my favorite album of the project so far. feels like a direct influence for some of the big aughts indie rock groups like MGMT, Foster The People and Portugal The Man. i saved a couple tracks to my personal playlists, namely Holes, Opus 40 and Goddess on a Hiway. i can't believe i've never listened to this before. 5/5 i would inject a theremin into my veins if i could

I have never heard of this band or this album. Pleasantly surprised, we’re on a nice lil streak of good music. It’s like sparklehorse but every once in a while they press the random noise button and the last thing you could ever guess starts playing. Danny Elfman esque but not as purposeful. I need help immediately ass bonus track. Definitely a if I listen to this 3 more times it’ll be a 5 but we’ll leave it at a 4.

There were parts of this album that depressed Charlie liked. They sound like a combination for The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, and Youth Lagoon. I thought the first song was a really strong opener, but the album started to fade on me for the next few songs. It then got slightly better with Opus 40, but the better songs were staggered throughout the rest of the album. Goddess On A Hiway was pretty good, Pick Up If You're There was alright, but the ending to Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp was so fucking stupid. How do you end an album like that? The album felt like it lacked confidence. The vocals definitely play a part in it by how weak and whiny they are, but, like I said in the beginning, depressed Charlie would've probably like this for a period of time. Fortunately for me, I am no longer a sad boi, but unfortunately for them, it means that I no longer dig this genre. Weak 3/5

Didn’t care for the first 3 songs but then it started to pick up for me a bit. Goddess on a Hiway is a good rocker and I pretty much enjoyed every song after that as well. Probably won’t revisit though except for the singles. Another 3/5 for me

Orchestra pop, Baroque pop, Chamber pop, I don't care what you call it I love it. Absolutely one of my favorite genres of music, and I'll be a lot more positive on it then a lot of other genres. This isn't close to the best example of Chamber pop on this list (The Divine Comedy, my beloved) but it's great stuff. The Funny Bird is beautifully explosive and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp is one of the best album finishers I've ever heard. Absolutely love it.

Very eccentric, experimental indie pop/rock. The vocals were a low point for me, but there were a few moments throughout that piqued my interest. Holes is a great song. But mostly I was just noticing how the background instruments/orchestra was 90% composed of default keyboard sounds with little to no production added, which is a bummer. Better production and vocals would’ve bumped this up to a 4 for me, but alas.

Cool

Not necessarily bad, but not super interesting either. A little better than some of the other albums like it on the list. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again

Excellent dark, baroque-psychedelic, infused '90s pop music. Many parts here reminded me of the little Flaming Lips I've heard, and the sort of awkward vocals really fall into that indie-rock '90s style - they reminded me a lot of Built to Spill. The production is haunting. I love the slow looping and growth of the opener that feels like a larger-than-life flower blossoming on the dawn of a new year - especially when those horns come in. It also introduces the weird Theremin noise that is used very liberally on this album, though I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I'd say the best crop of songs are saved for last, starting from the great 'Goddess on a Hiway', maybe the most direct pop-rock song here, but it's also just a really good take on this sound. The following, 'The Funny Bird' has the most larger-than-life production on the whole thing; the sound here is monstrous - very strong post-rock vibe with this one especially when that unhinged guitar solo kicks in. The bass on this track is also killer. Very moody, dark but never really angsty or cheesy, which is why I think I enjoyed this as much as I did. I mean, it still sort of borders it at times, especially near the start of the record. But the dense, varied production paired with the honestly very solid instrumental interludes here (Pick Up if You're There was especially crushing with that violin) gave the whole thing a very authentic, gothic feel, one that I really enjoyed.

Im surprised this is here. Its a mid britpop album at best so save for a couple of tracks its really not much. The opener is good but the voice is weak.

- gefiel mir nicht so gut - vor allem die Stimmenlage war einfach anstrengend und ich konnte nicht wirklich in die Musik eintauchen

Pretty uplifting actually

It was ok. probably won't listen to this again.

Has a very The Flaming Lips vibe... I approve.

3/5

I mean, it sounds like the Soft Bulletin. I had never listened to this and was expecting something totally different. Enjoyed it.

holes- 5 tonight it shows- nightmare before christmas ass. 5 endlessly- 5 i collect coins- 6 opus 40- 5 hudson line- 5 or 6 the happy end- 6 goddess on a hiway- 5 or 6 the funny bird- 5 pick up if youre there- 5. kinda walten files delta sun bottleneck stomp- 5 or 6

I wish it was a bit more consistent, but the best moments are REALLY damn good. 3.5/5

Strange album, I was kind of expecting more with this one, but it didn't leave a strong impression on me. None of the songs were that memorable, they all look alike and are somewhat similar. Not sure how I would classify this one, perhaps as psych-pop. One of the things I liked most are the psychedelic guitar and synth solos. Don't think the genre resonates with me, I will have to do more research to understand the topic.

Really interesting. Kind of like a rock opera but more whimsical? Haven’t heard anything like it yet, closest would be Bowie

it should be a criminal offence to write a load of songs as lush as this and then sing them in a Neil Young voice

Not too bad.

2.6?

This was sorta boring and repetitive, but worth trying

I didn't know much about Mercury Rev beyond the name and Goddess on a Hiway (I always thought they were British for starters), but I'm liking this a lot. Some really beautiful, whimsical and odd little tunes. A bit like Eels, with fewer rough edges. My interest waned at times, but never completely, or for too long. 3.5 / 4

what are we deserting? sanity? I respect them for doing literally whatever they want - that's kind of the whole point - but personally I'm not a fan of the weirdly disney-esque sound through most of this. Interesting, I'll give them that! And we end on an homage to my year 7 music class I see

This was really interesting and mostly pleasant (particularly the more whimsical, moody songs), but certain sounds were way too high-pitched in some places which took away from my enjoyment. If I could magically delete two of the worst tracks (The Happy End and Pick up if you're there), the album would be really great. I understand what they were going for in those two tracks but the results were just annoying in my opinion. 4 stars

No place on the list in my estimation. Too high pitched on some instruments and no vocal distinction to my ear.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It had a consistent vibe, though it did get a bit lost around track 10. The vocals were a little grating at times, especially in the higher registers, but were again consistent. I agree that the album is a great example of a band ignoring commercial influences and just doing them.

A bit forgettable and boring, but it had some cool moments. Didn’t love the vocals.

Maybe my life would be different if I’d heard these guys before the Flaming Lips. But they just sound like a knockoff to me.

literally not good idk it sounds like it would be down my alley but it kinda gives christian music energy and also i don’t like this guys vocals but thats just me! It's not often that I zone out to an album and then stir just to turn it the fuck off because that's how much it annoys me. It's probably the most boring rock album I've ever heard.

Not bad... but kinda boring.

Reminds me of my beloved Flaming Lips

Honestly I was a fan of this one. Paired well with my meaningless job

Someone got a theremin for Christmas. 7/10

an interesting combination of kinda classic alternative and super experimental. overall i think it worked pretty well though!

Direction-less noodling.

A really good album, I like Mercury Rev's music style. My favorite songs were Holes, Opus 40 and Goddess on a Hiway.

4/11, 36%

3.5 stars. Got "Do You Realize??" by Flaming Lips vibes. More rowdy take on Americana/pop. Standout is "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"

Retro-vibed pop rock, totally mid tempo and relying on lush arrangements to develop the texture instead of pushing the dynamics, having a hook (goddess on a highway chorus aside) or anything fun like that. Dreamy and dull. The singer's voice annoys me. What if Bruce Springsteen made an album of fairy-tale lullabies? Bass is far and away the best thing about this album and probably all that saves it from one star. Bored. Favourite tracks: Goddess on a Highway, pick up if you're there

Really liked the production but the vocals were so boring

Never heared of them before. There is the Bowieesk "Opus 40" and a few other o.k. songs ("Goddess on a Hiway", "The Funny Bird", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"), but especially the wha-wha doodle-doodle- sound on some tracks is hard to stand for me. 2,5

Never heard this before and I loved it. Obviously it's not groundbreaking to say they sound like Flaming Lips but I'm surprised I've never really come across Mercury Rev given how much I like FL Will definitely be giving this some more spins as it sounds like an album that would grow on you. There's a lot going on and it's mostly awesome!

Eh that kinda did nothing for me. It felt like theater kid music, and not in a way I enjoyed. Album cover: (C-) The photo is fine for invoking a mood, but it's not the mood of this album. The text design is fine I guess? I don't like the colors though.

I have never heard of this band. It's fun going into an album having absolutely no idea what to expect or even what genre. I actually thought this album was really cool and would happily listen to it again. It wasn't quite a legendary 5, but it was a really solid album.

"Tonite It Shows" is a great song. The lead singer has a good voice for not being able to hold a lot of notes. Still nice to listen to. I'm not paying a ton of attention to the individual songs but this album has been really good. "Hudson Line" is really great. The vocals remind me a little of Vampire Weekend. "The Happy End" is a weird song, it made me a little uncomfortable. "Goddess on a Hiway" has really enjoyable vocals. I really like his voice and the singing style. "The Funny Bird" is not my favorite song, the vocal modifications are a little weird. "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" was a great ending. 8/10

I enjoyed this, and I'm pretty sure I would have picked up that they are somehow associated with the Flaming Lips even if I hadn't read it before listening. Good daytime work music.

east coast flaming lips

"I hope you're hungry....for NOTHING" I feel like I forgot this album the moment it stopped playing

Feels like an amalgamation of a lot of stuff I really dig - Neil Young-esque vocals, Flaming Lips influenced instrumentals, and even a bit of Chemical Brothers influence. Very cool. I will have to check them out more.

Orchestral, the singers voice is annoying yet interesting

Kinda strange lol

quirky and unique, first track is a standout

Bored me to tears

Goddess on a hiway was alright but the rest of the album is pretty blegh

I'd never even heard of this band but I quite like this album...lovely, romantic, melancholy. I haven't heard anything quite like it, although there are hints of Polyphonic Spree, who arrived a couple of years later.

Eh

Mostly boring trash

Ok

Didn’t like it

Spotify has spent the last 10 years absolutely convinced that I want to hear Goddess on a Hiway. And, as if to prove that the algorithm always gonna get you, they're now absolutely right. It's physically impossible not to sing along with the 'it ain't gonna last' bit of that song. The rest of the album doesn't match up to be honest, it's a poor man's Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips, with a singer who can't really carry off the far out wonder that he's going for.

"Goddess on the Highway" has been one of my favorite songs since high school, so I've been aware of Mercury Rev for years, but I never fully listened to the album until now. It's a fascinating mix—at times beautifully ethereal, at others experimental and almost hymn-like (Endlessly reminds me of Silent Night). Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

Kinda fine. Kinda not mind blowing at all.

This isn’t bad. It just doesn’t knock your socks off which you kinda need a new album to do if it’s going to earn a 4 or 5.

Thought we might be in for a treat after the first song but was pretty let down for the remainder. Sort of flaming lips-esque but lacking character. Idk not for me

This is an astonishing album. I didn't know it, except for Goddess on a Hiway which everyone knows. I'm giving it 4-stars but I suspect with a few listens it would be nudged up to a 5-star album. It is just so interesting and emotional.

Hm ja, wat vinden we hier nou weer van. Meerdere keren gedraaid, niks valt op behalve het verborgen nummer. Wel aardige alternatieve pop, maar ze hadden wel wat beter hun best mogen doen.

Soms is vals zingen helemaal geen punt. Maar als je je plaat de uitstraling meegeeft van luistermuziek, dan moet het wel zuiver zijn, anders doet het wel afbreuk. Soms zijn vervormde stemmen helemaal geen punt. Dan past het in het geheel. Maar als je je plaat de uitstraling meegeeft van luistermuziek, dan moet het wel zuiver zijn, anders doet het wel afbreuk. Soms zijn gillende en buiten de muziek vallende geluiden helemaal geen punt. Maar als je je plaat de uitstraling meegeeft van luistermuziek, dan moet het wel zuiver zijn, anders doet het wel afbreuk. Soms is een snobkeuze helemaal geen punt. Maar als je de lijst een uitstraling wil meegeven van kwaliteitsmuziek, moeten de albums wel serieus te nemen zijn, anders doet het afbreuk.

Ik heb niet zoveel met chamber pop. En als de zanger dan op het 2e nummer al als een soort Sid Vicious gaat zingen, dan krijg ik kippenvel, alleen niet op de manier dat het positief bedoeld is. Het vermoeiende aan dit soort muziek is, is dat het zichzelf zo ongelooflijk serieus neemt. An sich probeert het redelijk sfeervol te zijn met wat toeters en (orgel)bellen, is het gitaartje prima te behappen, maar ik zie die gasten al heel overdreven met hun ogen dicht zitten te acteren alsof ze muzikanten zijn, op zondagochtend bij Jan Douwe Kroeske in het muziekgebouw aan t IJ. Mijn broertje komt aangelopen en vraagt: "zijn we in de Efteling beland vandaag? Dit lijkt wel de Droomvlucht." Waarschijnlijk omdat het derde nummer, met een fucking zingende zaag (wat weer meer de Fata Morgana is), lijkt op de melodie van Droomland van Paul de Leeuw. We vinken wel wat ergernishokjes af zeg, goeie genade. Ongelooflijk snobalbum, huismerk combi van Arcade Fire en Belle & Sebastian. Ik zal de 1 achterwege laten, omdat er af en toe wel goede stukken tussen zitten (zoals het middenstuk van Funny Bird, dat postrock-achtig is), maar ik heb er wel even over getwijfeld. Ergerniswekkende 2 is het verder.

2.5. I feel like I should like them more with the ethereal/ cinematic intros but it kinda goes no where

An album of two halves for me. The first half really felt like nothing special to me - just some generic 90s soft-rock pop-ish music, but then The Happy End started, which totally threw me for a loop. It doesn't happen often, but there certainly is both a time and a place where this kind of off-beat, off-putting song is just the kind of jam one needs. Goddess on a Hiway is just genuinely a good song, I absolutely loved both the vocal arrangement and the instruments through and through, with the fade out to end... chef's kiss, one of my favorite new songs I've discovered since I started doing this challenge. And then the rest of the album through the end didn't provide much amazement anymore, but I still really liked what they were doing with the songs, lots of quirky elements to them, and the sudden uptick in loudness was also pretty refreshing! Very intrigued to hear more of what they have to offer.

A fine album, but I'm not convinced it is an all time great album. I don't generally enjoy The Flaming Lips, but I enjoyed this in places, so it achieved a victory there. The song arrangements worked more often than not, and the album managed to lean away from the pretension that is rife with indie music and instead lean into humble lyrics and the clarity of well crafted psychedelic rock. Favorites: "Holes", "I Collect Coins", "Hudson Line", "The Happy End (The Drunk Room)", and "Pick Up If You're There"

Strange

Man these guys sound so much like The Flamings Lips and I mean that as a compliment. After doing a bit of research it looks like the frontman ended up joining the Flaming Lips after Mercury Rev which is interesting because he sounds just like the singer of The Flaming Lips but he was a guitarist haha. Holes is an amazing song and I've heard it in a bunch of places but I can't remember where. The whole album is solid though. It's weird but still accessible and it kinda of has this uplifting hopeful feeling to it which is something I've needed.

Super cool record! I was really surprised by this one. As a 2000s indie kid, this was definitely up my alley. I love all psych elements, and emo-ish vocals and lyrics. Cool instruments and weird effects. This was awesome, I was very surprised by this.

Oy this singing is too whiny and now they are playing a saw. Fuck me. Yeah, this is not for me. The instrumental was nice. But that’s it.

A strange mix of low quality 90s alternative rock and progressive. I love it. 4/5

Not a fan, a little too alternative for me.

Started off great but slowly became background music as it went along.

Endlessly is a fun, swimming in stars kind of song.

Sunday afternoon, dealing with a flu while my chest is heavy. Turns out that going food shopping while sick is never the best idea. Leaving the supermarket, I play this album. As my movements slow within every block, Deserter's Songs did little to put pep in my step. What I do respect about this is the dedication offered by the baroque instrumentation weaved throughout. Maybe I should have come to this on a better day. Favorites: Holes, Tonite It Shows, Endlessly, Opus 40, Hudson Line, Goddess on a Hiway, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.

The funny bird belongs in a film where the protagonist is walking through an urban hell-scape while drowning under the crushing weight of enormous unblinking skyscrapers.

this album is as though an orchestra made a rock / indie album. holes is a sick opening track, i also liked goddess on a hiway

great opening track, very decadent. flaming lips resemblance; made a lot more sense when i realized they shared a producer (and actually recorded this album in the same studio that flaming lips recorded soft bulletin in). hudson line is a stinker—comically jumbled mess. the mellow instrumental palate generally works, spellbindingly atmospheric. does occasionally lumber into a lull, devolving into passive "soundtrack rock" that is too easy to tune out of. could have done without the drowsy interludes. very much enjoyed the vibrantly dynamic final track.

not for me. the vocals werent doing it for me and i found most of the instrumentals boring

the only thing I’ve listened to from these guys before was super psychedelic. This is more nostalgic and orchestral. Love love love the opening track. Sometimes surprising guitar riffs. I think solid 4.5 for me.

Overall, this is good album. I preferred the songs without the rock influence but it's just... so beautiful. Hope we get more albums like this :) Fav song: Endlessly

Dreamy like feel, drums that just make you feel. Just beautifully put together like a warm blanket. Some of the non vocal songs are very experimental and don't add the most value towards the album. Also, WHAT IS THIS ENDING so very off putting and strange. Anyways, very very good parts and some that will make you wonder why, why, why.

Fantastic album, loved every song

Hardcore stoner rock from the early 90s. Reminds me of air supply or whatever that other one is (they might be giants? Pink Martini? that other band? idk) OH! no it reminds me of a more annoying (by comparison) `YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS` from flaming lips.

Voice is annoying at best

Couldn't listen to this. Not enjoyable

Propper pop songs

Quite a quirky little album with some gems lurking about in some otherwise barely tolerable tracks. Sometimes Floydish, sometimes a bit of Supertramp, and a whole lot of Broadway musical. Strange...

Irgendwie cool. Muss ich mir auf jeden Fall nochmal anhören. Hatte das Gefühl, die Songs wurden gegen Ende immer besser. Zwischen drei und vier, aber ich runde Mal auf, weil es eine Band ist, von der ich noch nie was gehört habe und die ich sonst wohl nie entdeckt hätte.

It was very hard for me to decide if I just liked it or really liked it. It reminded me of a cross between the flaming lips and early Ween (vocally but not hi fi)

Artsy grand pop-rock. A bit pretentious too me. Some great rock parts, like in The Funny Bird. Dislike the vocal a lot.

9/10

Great songs but the odd interludes drag it down a bit for me, but overall great.

For me this album is one of those ones that I don’t really understand why it’s on the list. You know you are not particularly enjoying an album when you keep looking to see how many tracks are left to play, and I did that a lot!

Great

This was a lot better than expected. I see a lot of references to the Flaming Lips, and a little REM, and I’m okay with that. This is hard because I’m not sure how much I needed to hear this, but it wasn’t an unwelcome album.

Eclectic collection of songs

Some songs sound like the flaming lips.

3.5/5

Like The Flaming Lips or The Postal Service, but way weirder. Some really solid tracks. Loved (and saved) Tonite It Shows and Hudson Line. Lyrics were a bit....Vampire Weekend? Cool album. Not mind-blowing though.

No conocía a la banda y me parecieron muy buenos. El disco tiene temazos oscuros pero que mantienen cierto mood de pasársela bien escuchándolos, en lugar de tirarse a la depresión. Muy buen disco, lo escucharé de nuevo.

Fun album to listen to. You can see where a lot of indie rock may have been inspired.

Definite no from me

Is that a Theremin I hear in the mix on several tracks? I love the experimentation if that’s the case but still, I didn’t connect with many of the songs. Just when some of the ethereal quality and melodies that have an almost lullaby nature to them would pull me in, I’d get bored as the song continued on. The album is rated pretty highly in knowing circles but it’s a 2 of 5 stars for me

Very interesting album. Dont really know what to say lol

definitely trying to eat flaming lips nachos... some of it swims, and some stinks. #cornball

why does "Endlessly" have Silent Night in it.

Mercury Rev were a 90s band that I heard a lot about but didn't really listen to back in the day. Having listened to this album, I realize they aren't my style and didn't miss much. Cool band name tho.

I randombly discovered this album in my parents' CD collection and I really enjoyed it. It is very airy and poppy neo-psychedelia, with lots of infectious earworms. Recommended. Key tracks: Holes Endlessly Opus 40 Goddess on a Hiway

mid i guess

There is one song I really like on this which is "The Funny Bird", the review is for the rest of it. I think there was some sort of loose constellation of a movement around chamber pop in the 90s (which by then kinda meant any alternative rock that was intentionally trying to exclude any stylistic borrowing from punk) and this record is weirdly one of the most acclaimed, but most banal examples from that whole scene. Same with The Flaming Lips, I really don't click with both bands. So this suffers from the same disease The Flaming Lips do where this record is really big and theatrical sounding and wants you to know how arty it is, but it also has no edge, no passion and no raw emotion to it beyond being this really fussy, manic pixie dream boy musak. Honestly in a way that reminds me of why I don't like Taylor Swift it's like that bad. Both bands also share this same whiny vocal style that sounds almost like Mac Demarco to me; twee and resigned and castrated and dude fuck this I really just wish I was listening to Tindersticks right now instead.

I really liked this album a lot. It started very strong but kind of went up and down after. They kind of hurt themselves with how many instrumentals there are, but you can tell that’s just what they wanted to do. Very flaming lips sound

I had personally never heard of Mercury Rev. I am in real danger here with this band. I love the raw, sort of "unsophisticated" feel of the sound production. I did not love when it slipped into "self-produced" territory. The reason for my troubles here are that EITHER this is going to become one of my "favorites" after a few listens, or they will fall off the wayside if I don't warm up to their style. I am certainly willing to give them a chance, and maybe someday i will look back and think I should have given this album a higher rating. But for now, after a first listen I will conclude that they are curious and interesting and I never got bored with the album that seemed to fly by as I listened.

Not to be confused with Deserted Songs

Good album to think about outer space to

Not annoying, but also not good. Convincingly average.

Mercury Rev came to me in the middle of the night or rather that twilight period between wake and sleep. Few years ago now but I was listening to Bob Harris late Saturday night program on Radio 2 and must have nodded off but was awoken softly by the enchanting sound of Snowflake in a Hot World from a later album than this. But that made an impression on me and led me to discover more of Mercury Rev. So I was familiar with this album and is a good representation of what Mercury Rev are about. I like their later albums more but this is a solid one full of delightful music. 4/5 26/12/24

Indulgent. Boring.

definitely in the relisten pile. it doesn't obviously grab me from the start but i think that it's one of those albums that will grow on you. very spacey and cool

Unique and creative.

I listened to this a few time. There was a lot of comparisons to the Flaming Lips, which I have now learned is because of a few shared members. I spent some time listening to this album as well as Flaming Lips discography. I will say I am definitely a fan of the indie shoegaze style I would kind of broadly call it dream pop. Definitely psychedelic and spacey but this Deserter's Songs project is a bit more wirey and skiddish than the Flaming Lips. I think the result here is a project that tries to be unassuming and finds itself at some pretty cool places. My favorite tracks are Holes, Opus 40, and Goddess on a highway.

Ugh, not for me.

I knew nothing about Mercury Rev other than the name. Apparently this album is unlike their earlier, noisier sound. This is delicate, fragile, ethereal. There are orchestral sounds, string quartets, mellotrons, calliopes. It is reminiscent of Funfairs & Saloon pianos. It’s well-played and sounds great and, although the material didn’t grab me, it’s a pleasant listen. The second half rocks a little more and is more compelling. Enjoyable but not essential.

These guys sound a lot like The Flaming Lips. That like psychadelic rock/indie/chamber pop crossover. Super ethereal sounding. Some pretty solid ideas on this record, and some really odd choices as well. For example, in the middle of the song Endlessly, it sounds like they sample the Christmas Carol, Silent Night. Also, they use some form of "instrument" to make that shitty ghost sound effect that was big in the 90's around the same point in the song. They brought the shitty ghost sound back for the song Pick Up If You're There. This is definately a rear loaded album. After the song I Collect Coins, the album gets loads better. Favourite songs: Goddess on a Hiway, Opus 40, Holes, The Funny Bird, Hudson Line Least favourite songs: Endlessly, Pick Up If You're There 3/5

I liked some of these songs for the instrumental but I found the singing voice quite strange and at times irritating. spoilt it for me at times. But as a whole this wasn't bad

Hmmm, didn't really love it. But it was fine. It's the guy from a flaming lips. I like his voice but it was missing what makes flaming lips so good. Felt a little empty.

Drugged and dreamy. Flaming Lips' cousin delivers melancholy tunes.

Album of weirdly dark lullabies in that kind of ambient music that they liked in the 90s. Probably needs more listens but it’s getting one 3/5

Listened to this first thing and it’s got a nice sound. Was just a little bit too cry yourself to sleep for my tastes. Possibly on another listen will score higher

O disco apresenta momentos quase brilhantes, revelando uma criatividade e originalidade notáveis. As ideias e a abordagem até parecem ser únicas e capazes de prender inicialmente a atenção. No entanto, o desenvolvimento da sequência das músicas deixando espaços para um aborrecimento.

Never heard of this group or album before. If I were to describe this in one word, it would be fantastical, yet melancholic. It felt like I was listening to a somber fairy tale or a storybook just purely based on the unique instrumentals and soft vocals from Jonathan Donahue (who I learned was briefly part of the Flaming Lips! The sound makes a little more sense now). Reading up some more, it sounded like the group was having a rough go of it as their previous album didn't do so hot in terms of sales. The group was able to muster the effort to record one more album (thinking it would be their last) and lo and behold, this became their best known work. It's pretty inspirational and you definitely hear this sense of "walking away" as a central theme throughout the album. It's not going to uplift you or anything, but this was a pretty unique album that I wasn't expecting as soon as I tapped play. A low 3 or thereabouts.

ight

J’ai été agréablement surpris de voir qu’il y avait une version instrumentale de l’album, compte tenu de la qualité vocale questionnable du chanteur. Ma critique portera donc sur cette version, car il me reste encore un peu d’amour-propre. Donc, c’est bon? Oui, même hyper-super bon. Il y a une grande diversité de style et de textures sonores qui donne une profondeur aux compositions, rendant l’écoute jamais ennuyante. Si le générateur avait spécifié cette version, j’aurais peut-être donné un cinq, mais compte tenant le chanteur, eeeuh 4 jsuis généreux

It was an interesting sound. I'm not surprised that the band was tight with the Flaming Lips. It reminded me of their early stuff. But I didn't really get hooked by anything. I'll give it another shot someday

Ya know, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I didn't expect the orchestral moments to be so prominent and I thoroughly enjoyed the weird whimsical vibe many of the songs had. Is this the kind of album I'll reach for again? Probably not. But am I glad I listened to it? Yup!

I really enjoyed this! It reminds me a lot of The Flaming Lips. Very cinematic and haunting

1.5 He truly just picks British versions of better North American bands to fill out this list, I swear (in this case, it’s a watered-down version of The Flaming Lips). Also, why is there a track of, like, Mario 64 sounds at the end?

First thought, this sounds a bit like The Flaming Lips. After deciding on my rating, checking the global reviews, I wasn't the only one who thought that! I'd listen again, nice unintrusive music to have playing while at work.

Bland.

High 4. Mercury Rev are class! Couple of filler tracks but the rest is good.

Here a lot of influence here. Way ahead of its time.

What a pleasant surprise. I made the mistake of reading about the artist and album before actually listening, which allowed my prejudices to kick in and tell me "you ain't gonna like this". They were wrong (for once), the first track was beautifully haunting, and the final track was uplifting and joyous. In between, there were undoubted low points but also many high points. It was difficult to pigeon-hole this music - I could hear many influences throughout such as pop, jazz, soul, rock, etc. I can't quite give it 5 stars, but it's an easy 4 stars.

Not into it

Hell yeah someone other than Neutral Milk Hotel bringing out the musical saw Enjoyed this quite a bit. Very unfamiliar with Mercury Rev, but these Deserter Songs are a cool mix of shoegaze and symphonic pop. The sounds between the songs often veer into the dark and cinematic, which checks into the emotional circumstances leading up to the making of this album (ya I read the Wiki article) HL: "Holes", "I Collect Coins", "Opus 40", "Hudson Line", "Pick Up If You're There", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" December 3, 2024

I am struggling to rate this one. Overall, this is a really good album, but I'm just not into it. I am, however, into a lot of bands that were very clearly influenced by this one, so I feel like I need to give them some more credit.

I like this album, but always thought it was a bit older; it seems dated for 1998. But that's kind of fitting, since it also feels anachronistic, retrofuturistic, electromechanical. An album from an alternate timeline where rock bands have instruments like a saw. Aesthetically I think it fits in with the Elephant 6 bands, or with slower Smashing Pumpkins songs like 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Thirty-Three'. It feels cold and distant; I think the album artwork fits it perfectly, if that makes sense. I got drunk and high and fell asleep while listening to it a second time, which I suppose is an endorsement, but not necessarily a full-throated one.

Favorite tracks: Opus 40, Hudson Line, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp This feels pretty different from the other albums I've gotten so far. It also feels like it'd fit best in a specific environment - as atmospheric background music when friends come by, say. Someone left a review describing this as soundtrack-esque, which I agree with. I zoned in and out while listening to it, which I think is fine. 3 stars.

Bands that sing and play off key are supposed to at least be interesting or inventive in some way but I found this album both bad and boring.

2.0 Probably didnt pay it enough attention as I was listening, but nothing really stood out for me

I had mixed feelings about this album. I listened to it twice and sometimes I was liking it a lot and sometimes not so much. I thought it was really creative and interesting, either way. Rating: 3

Just feels like flaming lips lite

Like this!

Gave lots of sci-fi/video game soundtrack vibes. I think it had a theremin. A couple of songs I’d listen to again if they were a bit shorter/didn’t have weird excessive outros

I liked this way more than I expected. All the songs are good, and it’s pretty different from other albums on the list.

Saw them recently - still a top band.

I was ok giving this an average and unoriginal 3, for sounding a lot like the flaming lips and abbey road. Then the last track actively pissed me off and I was leaning towards a 2… Ah, the whole thing was pleasant enough though, and I don’t know enough about the flaming lips to really know who was being ripped off. So a 3 is fair.

this album didn't fascinated me tbh two songs were likeable, but this album wont get a part in my collection.

It sounds like shoegaze flaming lips. But unlike how the vocals play into atmosphere and absurd lyrics in Flaming Lips songs, here they just kind of sound bad. There are some highlights but overall it’s just not very good. Favorite song: The Funny Bird Least Favorite song: Hudson Line

Again I didn't mind this but so like The Flaming Lips. Didn't deserve to be on this list.

I do love this album so much richer and mature than the Flaming Lips who they are always compared to. I did own their previous albums and enjoyed the noise and chaos so when this came out I was shocked and I have not enjoyed subsequent albums either. Something special about this one start to finish.

Ugh more shoegaze. I quite like the weird little instrumental interludes throughout this album, but the lyrical songs are meh.

like kind of weird but i liked it. if indie were techno.

the singer’s voice reminded me of wayne coyne, kind of. meh.

I can’t say that I dislike this.

Okay, a bit boring

interesting and peaceful

I lived in England for a year not long after this album came out. Although Mercury Rev are American, it was everywhere during my stay in the UK -- on the telly, in friends' homes, on the shelves of HMV and other record stores... And I suspect that it's because of the LP's reception in Britain that it's in this list. So many good melancholic songs with lush and extremely original instrumentations in there: "Holes", "Endlessly", "Opus 40"... At the time, I remember that out of all those songs, only "The Hudson Line"'s relatively hackneyed and middle-of-the-road sax arrangements rubbed me the wrong way. But decades later, I've even warmed up to this cut, just because it's bookended by such memorable moments anyway... Jonathan Donahue's frail-yet-fully-emotional vocal performance is so effective in this great record. I especially love the latter's second side, probably because it also goes to more ominous territories once in a while, bringing nuance and dynamics to the whole tracklist. Back-to-back "Goddess On A Hiway" and "The Funny Bird" are among the greatest one-two punches I have ever found in any album. Rarely has twilight music sounded so persuasive and cinematic. Music to daydream about love and loss until the end of times ... 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 5. 9.5 for more general purposes (5 + 4.5) Number of albums left to review: 13 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 425 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 253 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 313

Best Song: Opus 40. There's a soft of uplifting quality to the orchestration here. Worst Song: The Happy End. Why have this discordant track three quarters of the way through the album? Nothing about this is happy or the end. Overall: Really weak vocals, which also seem to be the focus of the album? Not a great combination. Otherwise, completely ordinary and forgettable. If I heard a song from this album again in one month, I doubt I'd even recognize it.

This was a strange listen. Heard it twice but couldn't pick out one song. Didn't dislike the experience but nothing really stuck. May have been me today

I was thinking this sounds like the Flaming Lips, and I see they have ties. Pretty good production value here, interesting mixing. Goddess on a Hiway is a nice track. Sonically I might like this more than the Flaming Lips albums we have had. At the end of the day this didn't blow me away, it was nice album and it is a fine addition to the list.

Never heard of this band... Sounds like almost orchestral indie music? The guy has a pretty high and sort of whiny voice, but it's not too bad. His voice seems almost out of place, there are these grand arrangements and then he just has kind of a thin voice with weird melodies over the top. Overall I liked a lot of the music but the songs didn't super do it for me because of the vocals

Hated everything about this. See some people comparing to the Flaming Lips, who i actually typically like. And strangely I can see the similarities but still really hated this one.

Schramm

Fint nok, drømmende alt rock

Groupe inconnu. Premier constat : l'instrumentation est originale (+2). L'utilisation d'une scie musicale (que j'ai pris pour un theremin avant de voir la liste des musiciens) n'est pas courant ! Viennent s'y ajouter des sifflements, pas courant non plus. Certains morceaux contiennent aussi des chorus de sax, et de guitare. Ceci dit je n'ai retenu aucun des morceaux. =>3/5

graaatinggggg i mean musically quite nice but that voice ??? i hated it

01) Holes - 7,0 02) Tonite It Shows - 6,5 03) Endlessly - 7,5 04) I Collect Coins - 6,5 05) Opus 40 - 7,0 06) Hudson Line - 7,0 07) The Happy End (The Drunk Room) - 6,0 08) Goddess on a Hiway - 8,0 09) The Funny Bird - 7,0 10) Pick Up If You're There - 6,5 11) Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp - 7,5 TOTAL: 6,95 (70/100) Current ranking: 240/356

General impression: lush, wondrous and strange. Detailed review: What is this? I’ve heard the name Mercury Rev before but never had enough to get properly curious. Apparently they’re somewhat connected with The Flaming Lips, mainly through the producer Dave Fridmann. Anyway, they do sound like the Lips, but they strike me as softer, sadder and a little more grounded. I fell in love with the first song immediately, and each track after it seemed to create its own little sound-world, an ability I adore in good bands. I had to give this two listens, because I was very impressed on my first listen, but I’m wary about giving albums a 5 after only one cursory listen. After the second, my score has reduced a little, but I still remain very happy with the discovery of this album. It’s a lot more vibrant and creative than I expected, and I’ll definitely be returning to it. Deeper thoughts (context): Time to dive into some more Mercury Rev albums, and this also might kick off a Flaming Lips phase too. Score: 4.4 (4) Number of albums left to review: 965 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 20 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16

I didn’t listen to the entire album but what I heard was alright, if a little maudlin. 3*

If it wasn't November 6th 2024 this morning as I listen to this is could be a bit more objective. So while not terrible it loses a star because I feel terrible about the country/world being doomed

Une voix atmosphérique, intimiste, sur des arrangements lyriques, parfois grandiloquents ou cinématographiques, mais qui m’ont tout de même paru originaux

when they included melodies from The Lord's Prayer in their song, they lost me.

Not sure what this is. It sounds like a really really really bad version of the Flaming Lips. I have zero idea how this made the list.

I was looking forward to hating this as much as some other reviewers. Alas, it didn't live up to that. In fact, I found I enjoyed some of the songs (to be fair, there is a bit of carnival sounding nonsense too). I must have been caught in a moment of weakness or something.

This is an absolutely miserable effort at making music. I read a bunch of 5 reviews and feel like there cannot be any doubt I am being gaslighted. I love music. I am a musician. This is some really bad cringeworthy crap and I shudder at the type of person that finds joy and meaning here.

Earlier this year, I happened upon a well-executed interview from 2002. Carson Daly was the interviewer and his subject was David Bowie... Here was part of their exchange: CD: I've seen you at the MTV Video Music Awards. I think like last year I remember sitting there when N’sync or Britney Spears was on and I remember just looking over at you and thinking what does David Bowie think of this right now? ...Crowd laughs... Bowie looks around and says- "well that would be too easy" or something and smiles... DB: Uh let me go another way with that one. I think you know a major band in this country for me anyway during the 80s were the Pixies. I thought they were absolutely necessary - a very very important band - Charles was, or Frank, whatever or however you want to refer to him, is a fantastic songwriter and they produced some really exciting music. Obviously Nirvana was terribly influenced - a number of other bands were influenced by them. But, they were never played on American radio, they never sold any albums, and they broke up. I'm seeing that beginning to happen again over here. You got bands like Grandaddy, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips – They (Flaming Lips) are getting some kind of exposure now right this second , but if they don't get played, they don't sell albums, then, if you're not careful they're going to go under. And more creative, really inventive artists are going to disappear after 2 or 3 years because nobody's out there supporting them. The radio isn't supporting like it should be, and there is crap on American radio - real crap. ...After seeing this interview, I listened to Grandaddy, and was pleasantly surprised. Happy to see Mercury Rev posted here. Bowie was really tuned in...all 3 of those bands are cut from the same cloth, and, as predicted, all but Flamin Lips kind of faded away.

Goddam is this ever fucking awful

I thought it had some really good songs - but I didn't find myself to be head over heels for them

Liked the overall package, some parts of it didn't immediately grab me though, just blended in Needs a relisten Favorite track: The Funny Bird

It's alright. There were a couple good songs on there, but nothing to really make me want to listen to it again.

Actually a nice album. Very complex. I liked all the string instruments

3.3 2x

I liked the atmosphere, but the music was often was boring and a bit tedious. No real genius on display here. Even though the vocals were poor I wouldn't have minded if the music was more worthwhile.

New one for me. Sounds like Flaming Lips.

Grrrrrr

Really enjoyed the album. Such a distinct mix of songs. Opus 40 and Goddess on a Hiway were my favs

Meh.

It's very hard not to hear the Flaming Lips while listening to this. They have a similar sound, but maybe a tiny bit less weird and a pinch more dreamy. I will listen to this again.

not what i thought they would sound like. a bit jangly and inoffensive

Zelden heb ik zo erg bij een opener gedacht - 'Holes' in dit geval - ''waarom is dit niet de afsluiter?''. Deze heeft al het grandioze van een 'end credits' song. Maar naarmate het album vorderde begon het in te dalen dat die stijl, melancholisch doch opbeurend met aanzwellende orkestraties, gewoon het ding is wat Mercury Rev doet. Want ook 'Opus 40' en nog wat andere nummers zouden zich prima schikken in de rol als afsluiter. Maar toch mist er iets om me echt om ver te blazen. Het zweeft bij vlagen heerlijk, en de songs hebben bijna een sprookjesachtige 'dream like quality'. Maar het is ook nogal repeterend, en als het niet zo fabelachtig als 'Opus 40' of 'Holes' is, dan is is het al snel saai. Het had van mij nog wel iets wackier mogen zijn, zoals in de neo-psychedelia van 'The Funny Bird'. Ze blijven wel erg binnen de grenzen van hun veilige droomwereld. Maar desalniettemin toch genoten van een aantal bijzondere momenten. 7/10 Highlights: Holes Opus 40 Goddess On a Hiway

Mercury Rev gaat al jaren mee in mijn lijstjes, maar eigenlijk ken ik het niet goed. De stem van Donahue is op het randje van aangenaam voor mij, wat mij per nummer wat doet twijfelen. Laat me voorop zetten; Holes is een fantastisch nummer. De opbouw van de dromigere soundscape is heerlijk en ik vind de tekst mooi. Matt Berninger heeft het nummer gecoverd waaruit ook blijkt hoe fantastisch deze in elkaar zit. De rest van de plaat zweeft en droomt mooi, al is het geen 'classic' dreampop. Ik lees iets over de link met Flaming Lips, en dat is goed te horen. Mercury Rev mag vaker terugkomen, al heb ik nu niet meteen zin om de andere platen te checken. Middenmoter. 7/10 Highlights Holes Goddess on a Hiway

I went into this totally blind. I’ve never heard of them, don’t even know what genre they are. Having finished the album, I still can’t say what genre :) This is a very chill album and I ended up liking it. It’s quirky, and fun and calming. Favorite tracks- Goddess on a Hiway, The Funny Bird, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. 4

Feels like the Flaming Lips want to be this band.

This album reminded me so much of Empire of the Sun

It was pretty soothing

Some really nice orchestral indie rock with a few sublime songs, like Holes (one of my favourite songs of all-time), Goddess on a Hiway and Opus 40. There are other good moments here but unfortunately some others are either lacking or a bit too cheesy in a bad way. I wish it was better because I really like the vibe of this album.

When you buy a Flaming Lips record from Wish.

You can have a lot of orchestral arrangements, but that doesn't always help to make a song better. A few nice things here and there, but I already forgot everything about that one. Sorry.

Pretty decent for late 90s/early 2k post-grunge alt rock. A bit quirky and fun, but I probably won't play it again.

This album feels like it would be to listen to if I was high. Not bad, but not great.

I liked this one

Alright.

These guys wanna be the Beatles so bad.

I don’t get it. It’s very boring.

ass

This was fine

Never heard of this band and was surprised at how much I liked this. Catchy tunes, good production, nice variety. Will listen to more by them.

I’ve listened to this fairly recently—maybe within the last year?—because it was always one of those albums you hear about as important, but I had never before listened to it. Then, as now, it was fine. Goddess on a hiway is my highlight, and it seems Spotify users agree.

53

Kinda Radio Head / Take Impala ish...but probably older than those. I liked it for a listen but maybe not more??

Not really for me

he geil wiedermol 90er indie shit. lang her. sini stimm erinneret mich a jede ander 90er Indie sänger. song isch no schön. sehr joo nostalgie jo weischno früener. hass wiener de hoch ton nie richtig trifft. aaah das het de glich producer wie the soft bulletin. nöd es guets zeiche. tonite it shows macht de whimsical shit. iiii shit dasch nöd guet. aaah ich mag das nöd. ich checks aber s isch kritiker:inne musig aaah wiso macht bi endlessly d flöte plötzlich "schlaaaf in himmlischer ruh"? oke da mue bewusst sii. hass so lärm interludes wo nüt mached. opus 40 tönt wieder wie en song. coools schlagzüg es passiered sache finds super. mag sini stimm würkli nöd aber i dem kontext funktioniert sie gad. eeebdlich hudson line hett chli seele mannn würkli sie chönd jo musig mache. AH DEFÜR TÖNT THE HAPPY END WIE MINI ALPTRÄUM ALS CHIND COOL. ich hasses extrem fest. goddess on a hiway isch chli chilliger i guesss aber puh. happy end huere schlimm kei ahnig. NME het gfunde s seg s beste album vom johr 1998. demfall e scheissjohr oder es sind afoch pretentious musigkritiker:inne. das lusdige vogul. find nöd so lusdig. er will chli john lennon sii mit de stimmverzerrig. finds zwor besser als woner falsch gsunge het aber jo. nöd geil. pick up if you're there isch meh athmosphäre wieder. meh. nöd so geil. delta sun bottleneck stomp het ENDLICH wieder mol rhythmus. es sind immerno die sloppy-indie blöser debii die hetmer möse haa ide 90er. aber s het ab und zue e e gitarre und e kickdrum und es macht eigentli spass zum lose.

löcher HAHAHAHAH ich chegg de flaming lips verglich sehr fest aso er chan echt 0 singe und de komischi gsang findi recht geil?? hey finds iwie na cute? aber chegg wiso de luca s nöd gern het happy end isch fast scho obnoxious ohh goddess on a hiway erinneret mich ah irgendöppis, hans huere gern funny bird kinda arsch heja ich verstahn wiso mers nöd gern het...aber ich liebs iwie, er chan 0 singe und villes isch chli weird und verspielt aber han e gueti ziit gha

This one was a total surprise for me. I really enjoyed it.

I don't really know what to make of this so I'll just give it a three and move on.

Very British poppy stuff. Nothing very original here. Nothing very bad.

This was an odd little mess that I just can't describe, other than to say that I can understand why deserters may have chosen to do so.

This is another type of band that should be up my alley but eh.... it's fine. 3.5/5

I just can't.

This fluctuated for me. I started off liking it, got pretty turned off, maybe turned a bit positively and then kinda plumeted.

Fraile vocals, shoegaze guitars, big orchestral arrangements - it's very cinematic but like a movie with cool cinematography that's extremely boring and goes on way to long probably staring Ethan Hawke. Yet again, after many attempts upon lots of recommendations, I just cannot get with this band. Favorites: Goddess on the Highway

Remember not being keen

Strange, creative, whispery, soothing yet eerie. Indie Disney is the best way I can describe the sound. This is not really my thing but definitely worth hearing. Best song: Endlessly

Cool little album to start my morning. Cool vocal and instrumental bits as well. Pretty good if you ask me.

This was background music at best. I don’t understand songs seeming to end, then having random sounds for two more minutes. I would certainly not seek this album to listen again.

3.5 mainly due to the instrumentals it would be higher but there was too much repetition for me and his voice wasn’t the best

Very much gave me Flaming Lips vibes, seriously this just felt like a knock off of them. Liked the sound and the music of it but again, just like the Lips, dude can't sing well at all. Made it kinda cringey to listen to. I did like this more than The Flaming Lips because there were much more instrumental tracks on it where I didn't have to listen to the man sing, but seriously why did they make this dude their frontman he does not sound good.

blah. at best it was forgettable background music. worst-vocals were super weak & sounds were just odd.

Hmmm ... simply boring

I don't know what to call this, except for special music. A lot of different things merging into something that I can listen to, and it's good.

Another unknown to me. Some songs were good while others were just bizarre.

Not my cup of tea.

Interesting. Honestly decent if you’re in the mood for something a little different. Some bad weird songs but I think most of them were pretty solid.

This album is thoroughly alright. It had a definite late-90s coffee shop-turned- theatre feel with Beatles, Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac influence. Key songs were Goddess on a Hiway and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. It was a fun vibe for a Wednesday morning.

I have a soft spot for this one due to this sounding similar to the Flaming Lips. This seems like one you’d have to give yourself time to grow into. It didn’t quite have the highs of the Flaming Lips but seemed to have a more polished and consistent musicality. I’d definitely revisit this one.

5/10 - приятный чилобассный психодел

Just had it as background, nothing caught me to much, but it was alright

An absolute favourite of mine - opus 40 and goddess on a hiway transport me back to my student days where life was simpler - immense

Every song feels like some kind of disturbing fairytale

Such a great record, and a perfect companion piece to The Soft Bulletin. Too many highlights to count.

Listen to the great Deserter’s Songs, then listen to its magnificent sister record The Soft Bulletin - proceed to just enjoy life.

Soft and peaceful indie rock with some unique instrumentation that would go well with some sort of fairy tale movie soundtrack. I was really pleasantly surprised by this album.

Ends on a strong note with the last 3 songs, but generally just okay

Wonderful stuff. Chill and serine.

Not a bad record but it has too much pop appeal for me. With a bit less it would be a perfect psych rock record.

This is one I appreciate more than I actually connect with. It's quite floaty and quirky and unusual. They have some interesting instrumentation and chorusey swells and saxophone and all sorts. I really do like the moments when it goes grand and operatic, and that's when it's at its best for me. It's well put together and I appreciate the skill and how they stand out in the scene. I get it, it's just a bit too indie quirk for me in general.

Definitely Flaming Lips-esque, but with it's own feel.

Pari passelia kappaletta ei vielä pelastanut tätä erikoista settiä.

Holes Tonite It Shows Opus 40 Goddess on a Hiway

I found my interest waning at time, to the point I felt it warranted a second listen. It is often at times Flaming Lips-esque in its instrumentation and brittle vocals, but 'The Soft Bulletin' it is not. Overall a pleasant album, with some interesting flourishes and a couple of standout tracks like Opus 40 and Holes. But I didn't quite understand the significance of this one.

That's not my taste in musik. But some pleasant songs

not bad but forgettable

Nails a very particular mood, a certain mid twenties city based alienation. A success on its own terms, I think, but didn't speak to me personally.

meh