Deserter's Songs

I listened to it. I didn’t hate it but I won’t seek out more Mercury Rev.

Nope.

Weird synth, psychedelic. Never heard of this band. Not my vibe. Too chaotic.

A bit too baroque for my tastes. If it leaned more into trip hop aka Massive Attack, I would have liked it more. Plus, the guy's voice is a bit annoying.

This sucked. Whiny, nasally, annoying bullshit.

this takes heavily from the flaming lips and daniel johnston. i dont like the flaming lips, and i dont like a fluffed up daniel johnston. ill just listen to the original. production budget was too high on this one

Pas trop ma came, quelques passages intéressants mais sinon globalement ennuyeux voire bizarre 2/5

Not a fan

rememberably forgettable 2.4/5

Not a fan of the voice, Sounds like someone who's singing karaoke at a bar at 1 AM. i would say that the aestetic it evokes is more interesting to me than the music itself. i actually saved "i collect coins" to my liminal list. so if this was a instrumental album i would porbably enjoy this more.

Truly baffling record. Has a couple of good cuts, but outside of those, this is incredibly cloying and overwrought. This kind of psychedelic maximalism would be much more appealing to me if every instrument weren't seemingly tuned to the key of "whimsy." The vocals aren't doing it any favors either.

Parts were enjoyable but largely I found this uninspiring

so weird! moments that felt like doves or flaming lips were cool.

sounds like every band from the ‘90s in one

to sum up my experience with this album, i was finally enjoying one of the more americana tracks that had a good beat when it faded out and literal clown music started.

this was so something! LMFAO i actually did really love holes and then it kinda lost me! so imma give it a 2 for holes alone cause i added it to my playlist. it was almost a 3 but whatever the fuck was going on at the end severely pissed me off?? it sounded like those weird goofy sound effects in a movie

Tried to get into it, but couldn’t

Definitely unique. Oddly cozy. However nothing really that exciting for me.

Would not buy

I don’t know what I’m listening to, but I’m pretty sure I don’t like it. They sound like a less interesting Flaming Lips cover band.

This was..... OK? It's really trying to be operatic and grandiose and not really getting there. It has very melancholy undertones and is rather depressing overall.

Yeah, I don't know. It started off okay, but then I kinda got lost and it was all over the place. What genre of music was this? I'm not sure. I didn't really enjoy listening to it, but it had some ambitious soundscapes and some hummable tunes. Two stars.

Nothing special

Pretty boring

I can hear the influence this had on the indie of the future. Reminded me of Neutral Milk Hotel but less enjoyable. Good ideas and seeds for melody, but made a lot of instrumental choices that bothered me and I don't love the lead vocal performance. The production is scattershot and unfocused as well.

This passes for great in some cultures. It’s fine.

Generic 90s indie-rock...I'd rate it as "listenable" but definitely not "memorable"

I was pretty bored with this one. This is my second ‘best’ album of the year of 1998 this week. Must have been a slow year.

I’ve always wished Mercury Rev had changed their name after David Baker left. This version of the band is just such naff indie pop compared to the excellent and much darker, menacing and challenging first 2 Rev albums. Other than Goddess on a Highway this album is extremely vanilla, and I’m not convinced adding lots of theremin and a dose of harpsichord makes it particular edgy or psych or whatever they were trying to achieve. On the upside, this made me read about them again, and I discovered an album ‘World’ David Baker recorded after he left under the moniker Shady. If you’re a fan of the Rev’s first 2 albums head there, it’s good. If you prefer this Rev album, more fool you and go and have some more bland time.

It's ok - that voice is a bit weird. I didnt hate it but i wouldn't be bothered about listening to it again. Last song was the best one. The other album All is Dream was a better album for me.

Although I’m a fan of a lot of psych bands…this album doesn’t do it for me.

Sounds like a band trying to sound like the Flaming Lips.

It sounded all the same, but OK background music. 5/10

Interesting sound and songs. I'll have to listen to more of this groups work. Not bad.

In places quite pretty, but by god the words are pretentious dog shit.

I appreciate the nods to my homeland of Hudson NY, and musically the album was pretty expressive and artistic. Lyrically and vocally it left me wanting more. But hey, there is a secret song at the end. Always fun when they did that in the 90s.

shoe gazing! right, per?!

It was ok. But i won‘t listen to it in the future

Even more pointless than this sentence

Enjoyable but I imagine both Yoshimi and Soft Bulletin are on this list, so why is this here?

I really did not like this. It felt like the whole thing was the initial part of a rock opera or concept album and then it would just stay there. The singers voice was grating which normally I can move past if everything else is enjoyable. I don't see a place for this on the list

Boring

Saved by 3 good tracks, but the rest was either weird, lame or awful. The second song sounded like something Tiny Tim would sing in the Muppets Christmas Carol. Probably a 2.5 rounded down.

Not really my jam. Thought the album was a bit boring to be honest. The songs were okay, but every song felt like the slow song of the album.

Like Flaming Lips but more boring and less musical.

The album started out fun and felt like it got more and more underground as we went. It was fine until the happy end and then it just got strange. Not a fan.

-hmm. another case of “not bad by any means but does not make me feel anything and was very difficult to connect with individual songs -like there were certain elements i liked. the chamber pop, the vocals. but it all just kinda blended together for me in one big blob. not a huge fan -Favorites are Holes and I Collect Coins

Didn’t hate didn’t love

No hate, but is this really a 'must'? I feel like I've heard a lot of this before in every day life, or tracks that sound like this. Early Beatles-like influences making a listenable album. Not really inspiring me to replay it. 2.2/5

2/5 Best Track - "Goddess On A Hiway"

It's...ok. Definitely not the worst thing I've heard on this list so far. Easy listening background music.

Forgettable

I feel like the Venn diagram of people who like steampunk and this album is a circle. I don't like steampunk. 2 stars.

Interesting. Thoughtful. Intellectual. Ultimately forgettable.

Indie rock for the intellectuals.. very nice atmospheric arrangements, but also getting a bit boring

It was an interesting listen. I liked the atmosphere the album put you in. However only songs I really vibed with were Hudson Line, Goddess on a Hiway, and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.

Incredibly boring album, and on some songs the singer decides to use an annoying voice as well. Track 8 is quite catchy and 2:15 into the ninth track, they impress with some nice musical skills. The rest is nondescript

escuchado mientras hago guías practicas sobre la sexualidad humana para el preu. es olvidable sinceramente, no es malo, pero no es excepcional de ninguna forma

1.72

Trippy, experimental, chaotic. I don't think I'd ever actually have enjoyed this album, but I might have appreciated it more had I been familiar with the band and their oeuvre. Going in blind, though, I wanted to turn it off halfway into the first track.

Painfully boring. I literally have nothing to write for this. Fucking hell. At least it wasn't offensively boring, but come on.

Fun Fact: My daily album prior to this was Midnight Ride by Paul Revere & The Raiders, one of the standout tracks on this album is a rockin little tune called ‘Get it On’. During this song lead singer of the song Phil Volk sings “Don’t listen to them chatter, you’ve gotta use your own grey matter”. This is clever foreshadowing to how I wanted to stop listening to Mercury Rev’s boring murmurys and paint the walls of my workplace with my own grey matter from a boredom induced state of dread.

Holes - Instrumentals clicked with me on this. Vocals are alright too. The Funny Bird - Solid guitar solo Very plain album, nothing much stuck out to me. Hard to point at anything particularly bad, it was just all over the place, and nothing much was great about it. Very mid. Highlights: Holes, The Funny Bird

Forgettable in my view. So much potential. Not here.

Deserter indeed

I struggled with this one. There were one or two moments where the band really brought it all in and it sounded great, but the majority of this record was nails on a chalk board for me. Limp songs, a voice that I really couldn’t vibe with (reminded me of Wayne Coyne’s singing from The Flaming Lips, the one aspect of that band I can’t stand), and a feeling of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what stuck. Sometimes that works, but for me this time it didn’t.

Ehhh

2.

Not really my thing at all.

I just loathe the saxophone. For the most part, I found this album pretty boring. Came away from every song without anything to hum.

Art rock מבוצע לא טוב

Profoundly irritating. Roughly 45 minutes of insincerity, mawkish lyrics, and irritating vocals. Perhaps most annoyingly, they express just enough musicality too seem pretentious but not enough to actually impress.

< The Beatles

At first I thought I liked this but the songs took quite a turn towards the end of the album. Not a big fan of the lead vocals here and some of the creative instrumentals.

No.

This sounded way too much like The Flaming Lips to me, but with a slightly better singer: 90s production meets psychedelic goofiness. My biggest thing about the Flaming Lips (and Mercury Rev) is that the lyrics try too hard to rhyme and yet still don't make any sense. The second half of "The Funny Bird" was pretty good, along with "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp". The rest (just like The FL) didn't do anything or me. NEXT.

Never heard of this band before. Some experimental music, but not too impressive overall.

Sleeping behind the wheel

Wow this is chaotic. I'm not sure what they set out to do but if this was the goal....yikes.

Aggressively middling to listen to. Can't say I really hated or disliked any part of it I listened to, but I found myself quite bored with a lot of what was presented here. Probably a big influence and all for some otherwise it wouldn't be on the list, but I can't differentiate this from a billion other indie pop musicians and bands also in existance.

spannend! am anfang war es mir zu wehleidig, dann nahm das album doch noch an fahrt auf und hat ein paar interessante songs. alles in allem aber doch eher durchschnitt

Maybe caught me on a bad day but I got annoyed.

Weird and not good weird

If this is considered some of their best work, I don't want to imagine what anything else they've put out sounds like. The vocals were really off-putting to me, but whatever "instrument" made the weird noises throughout the record made me skip through songs hoping the next would not have the same issue. 2/5

I did not like this album at all

Not bad sounds on this, but this just doesn't do much for me

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.

Nothing to write home about.

Don't like this at all.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

2.6?

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

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

Not bad... but kinda boring.

Direction-less noodling.

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

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

Kinda strange lol

Bored me to tears

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

Eh

Mostly boring trash

Didn’t like it

Kinda fine. Kinda not mind blowing at all.

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

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

Strange

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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

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.

Not annoying, but also not good. Convincingly average.

Ugh, not for me.

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.

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?

Bland.

Not into it

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

Just feels like flaming lips lite

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.

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

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

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

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

Fint nok, drømmende alt rock

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

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

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

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.

Meh.

This album reminded me so much of Empire of the Sun

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.

I don’t get it. It’s very boring.

ass

Not really for me

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 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

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

Hmmm ... simply boring

Not my cup of tea.

Pari passelia kappaletta ei vielä pelastanut tätä erikoista settiä.

not bad but forgettable

I knew I should have given the last album a 2 star, this is algorithm type garbage. Just because we had one sort of good British rock band doesn’t mean we need another even worse one the next day. What did we do wrong?!

Couldn't wait for it to be over. Horrid singing and nightmare fuel level instrumentals; almost Tim Burton-esque. Anyone liking this is kidding themselves. 4/10.

This was a very bizarre listen for me. I thought the first 2/3 of the album was incoherent and aimless, very airy and discordant. But then I got to the final third, which I thought brought an unexpected and eerie maturity and gravity that almost made me wonder if I was listening to an entirely different album. There are exactly 3 songs worth listening to on this album, but those songs are frankly excellent in my opinion. Top tracks: Goddess On A Hiway, The Funny Bird, Pick Up If You're There

Maso

Holes was rlly nice and goddess on a hiway was also interesting Made me v sad idk it’s giving 2000s romcom soundtrack

Forty minutes of droning followed by his cat running across his keyboard - 2/5 Reviewed on 16/08/2024

a forgettable mystery. what was this?

Kept thinking I was listening to Flaming Lips for some reason.

This was an incredibly diverse album in sound, and something that was similar and yet still not quite like anything else that has been featured on this project, but still not one I really enjoyed all that much. It didn't grate on my nerves necessarily, but I also wasn't excited by it. I was just very indifferent about it. Probably a 2.5, but don't really feel like it earned a round up from me.

Never heard of this group. Really sit to learn that they’re American and even more so that they met at SUNY Buffalo. Not surprised that they haven’t ever broken through here. I did like the Hudson Line song. The rest, not so much.

Wut?

A few ok tracks but mostly disappointing

Never got why this was so rated. 1st track was ok, bit like Flaming Lips but not as good, the rest was pretty forgettable.

Boring.

did not liked it not in the mood maybe.. 80s rap/hip hop, with world music (afican percission etc). not timelles IMHO.

I didn't think I'd ever heard anything from this album before, but it turns out I knew one track a little. Left feeling pretty much the same, as none of it really hit me as memorable in the slightest. Only an hour after listening to it, I couldn't tell you what sort of music it was, other than atmospheric/ cinematic/ dull...

Sure I would have loved the album if I'd discovered it in 6th form but found it very repetitive

Ok but a bit bland. Very Flaming Lips-eque

This is fairly good. There are, however, a few forgettable songs on here also.

This is another album that feels like the cast recording to some kind of musical I don't want to see. Cool that these guys are off doing their own weird little thing and all, but I'm not into it.

i forgot what went on here

eher nö, zu elegisch

Overall not really a fan. Late 90s, had some cool psy beats in certain songs, and the popular songs (according to Amazon Music) were cool. Not interested in more.

84/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

I usually like shoegaze, but this really didn’t click with me

Meni jotenki phi

First song on the album is good but unfortunately not much good follows

I listen to to the whole thing yesterday, and can't remember anything significant today.

Sok. Nothing special

This was a weird one. I liked a lot of the music and could see myself vibing with it. But I couldn’t stand the vocals. They ruined the song almost every time. 2.5/5

sounds like Wilco. two stars

Lots of positive reviews on this one. I just couldn't get into it. I enjoy the alternative psychedelic nature of it, but the vocals are odd and unpleasant. Lots of weirdness abound that just doesn't sound very good. I couldn't latch onto a single track. It didn't work for me.

Deserter's Songs starts well with Holes, and then nothing else is quite as good or interesting as that. It's all a bit wishy washy, the vocals generally don't do it for me, the...creative instrumental accents don't do it for me, and the rest of sort of just middle of the road alternative rock. 2.

What do they have against the letters 'gh'? Otherwise not that much to write home about. Holes probably makes it onto an LCD Soundsystem (not as a single though), maybe Opus 40 does, but everything else feels a bit too lightweight. 2/5.

Didn’t like the singers voice. The arrangements were unsubtle and cheesy. It sounded like a rock band trying to be mature and clever by using an orchestra but it just sounded heavy handed and immature.

Have I heard this album before? No Highlights: Opus 40, Hudson Line, Goddess On A Highway Rating: 5.6/10 Never heard of this group so had no idea what to expect. It’s some indie dream pop type music which is well produced but, bar a few great tunes, didn’t excite me that much. Overall a decent listen.

Some potentially interesting music, but his voice is too annoying to make another trip.

Allejezus wat onprettig

Soms gewoon vals en redelijk rare geluiden

Opzich gaat het wel totdat amang de snavel open doet

J'ai dû aller réécouter des extraits car quelques jours après je n'étais déjà plus capable de me rappeler de comment ça sonnait, ce qui est très évocateur. Générallement j'ai trouvé que l'amalgame de son et d'influence était très intéressant, mais le résultat est tellement fade. L'utilisation du thérémine joue plus contre l'album qu'autre chosee. J'ai l'impression qu'il y a beaucoup d'aspects intéressants, mais mal exécuté. 4/10

Very meh.

quite ok ;-)

I am feeling like I don't have a ton to say about this experience - it was fine...?

Sound like a band from before the late 90s. Weird. Goddess on a Highway is a good song.

2.5

15 seconds into the first track and I said "oh boy, here we go." The album as a whole turned out better than expected, but still meh. This guy's vocals are something else...and not in a good way. Whiney and just not really too pleasant to listen to, but not across thew whole album. At parts his voice was fine. Overall, the instrumentals of this album are good and at least captivating. I'd say this album is a 2.5 stars, but due to some of the album being borderline unlistenable, I gotta round down to two.

Was okay Favourite track- holes, tonite it shows

Boring. Poser throwback to psychedelic rock I guess. 2.4.

Need to sit with this one a bit more, but this was a great discovery!

Can’t say this was what I expected to hear when I pressed “Play.” Can’t say I really liked it, either. Not bad, just not my cup of tea. I read one description of the album that said the band made this mostly for themselves rather than to please critics, and I’m happy for them for that.

Zzzzz.

p833. 1998. 2.5 stars. Twee trippy psychedelic pop with fey vocals and one standout song (Goddess On A Highway). Other than that, this gets tiresome and pretentious reallll soon.

Tim Burton-y? Beatles-y? Wiggly…somehow familiar but I’ve never heard of them. I’m baffled on if I enjoyed it or not. Plenty of skips, just a little too weird for me.

Poor man’s Coldplay. Like, dollar bin

Too soft / slow for me - didn't finish honestly

gewoon te veel

Pages of 4 and 5 star reviews but an average of 3? Someone's been boosting reviews ... It's a non-album. Nothing of note at all.

tooo syrupy, in a bad, really bad time to listen to that

Album #: 363 (#305 rated) first impressions: this is going to be weird and very 90's, I think. after listening through: that was not unpleasant -- kind of an amalgamation of the Flaming Lips + Radiohead, but fun + early Coldplay? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I will forget this album in a few weeks at the longest. It was fine, but didn't really resonate emotionally for me and the music was just too weird on purpose for me. post-reading reviews/wiki: I tried to read the Spotify bio for this band and it was entirely too long to comprehend. You know it's going to be juicy when they immediately bring up tensions in the band and lineup changes. Also, sorry for piling on with the Flaming Lips comparison. I really didn't cheat and peak at the comments before writing that. recommended for: Fans of the bands this album sounds like, people who hate music that fits into one genre; people who like "musicians' musicians"

This one started of cool. Some of the songs were just too weird for me. I prefer the tracks that have a psychedelic/shoegaze feel to them. Kinda reminiscent of Spiritualized.

Nah

Really weird. Especially the last song. Was a bit too strange for me

Not enjoyable

The album did not feel like anything special to me. It wasn't bad and wasn't particularly spectacular. It really sounded like many other forgettable albums that are produced by quite forgettable bands. I've rated it two stars not because I think it's bad but because the album didn't really do anything for me. Despite just finishing it, I really could not say a song that really stuck with me besides Holes... maybe. Even though Holes is a good song but nothing remarkable, and that is a good summation of the entire album.

Weird nerdy nasal hollow sounding stuff

Left me constantly wanting more fr the album. Never delivered

Joli instrumental mais je n'ai pas du tout accroché ni aimé la voix du chanteur.

Not good lol

Tämähän on ihan iloinen levy. Ilman ihme huiluraitoja ois kivenpaa goottia. Vuoden 1997 paras? Joko huono vuosi tai en osaa kuunnella.

Tämän tarkoituksena on herättää (noloja) tunteita, missä se pari kertaa onnistuikin - hyvä! Toisaalta materiaali on suurilta osin tasapaksua, ja se on esitetty tavalla, joka osoittaa liiallisia luuloja omista kyvyistä, ja tekee tykästymisestä mahdollisimman vaikeaa.

Interesting. I have heard of, but am not familiar with, Mercury Rev. I feel like Q was really into them in the 90s. This is much different than I thought it would be. How? Well it’s much worse for example. It’s more over-orchestrated symphonic shit. I thought punk erased this crap. This would not have survived the first two tracks were I not committed to this project. Yeah this is fucking terrible. ELO-level terrible. Like a made-for-TV musical. Plus his voice isn’t good OR interesting. I wonder if this is a one-man vision too. Two-man, so that’s cool I guess. And they’re American, which surprises me. Just a little too much whimsy for my taste. Yeah, no.

annoyed me

I get the feeling that people thought this was a Flaming Lips album until they got a couple tracks in.

Werd steeds zemeliger

Wat een vervelende stem!

I don't like the singers style of singing, he makes each song sound the same.

Вполне нормально, на фоне послушать можно, но переслушивать нет смысла

'90s psychedelic rock with an annoying voice. If you can stand the singing, it's probably quite good, but I can't. Favorite song: Pick up if you're there, because it's instrumental.

The remix album is better

This high-pitched, dreamscape type voice and instrumentals is really hard to listen to for an extended period of time. Shockingly so, the tracks on the album that avoid this are the best ones (Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp, Hudson Line). At the end of the day, though, the album mostly felt cartoonish and was hard to take seriously for most of it.

2.5/5. Weird, did not really enjoy this. I guess the music itself is fine, it's just not for me.

I thought it was like the Flaming Lips but not as good. It had its moments. They were ahead of the game.

Completamente negligivel

Ehh, I could maybe come around to liking this more on repeated listens and on a different day. I had no idea about the Flaming Lips connection, but have been aware of Mercury Rev as a band for ages. Problem is, I completely expected something entirely different. I had it in my head that they were a post-punk band of some ilk or another, and I was very wrong about that. So, I should give this another shot sometime. I suspect I’ll like it more… but until then TWO STARS. #nomercy

Kind of reminds me of a more twee Flaming Lips. Wikipedia says the bands have some history together, so it's not super surprising. I like the latter half of the album more, when it's more of a blend of rock and chamber pop, and less chamber pop. That's a personal preference, though. Favorite tracks: "The Funny Bird", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"

Cat: Pretty cool! Love the instrumentation. Very creative. Sounds kinda like Flaming Lips, then I looked them up and they’re known to be tied to them. CLARINETIST WOOOOO. Endlessly is quite weird. Like a Tim Burton Fairytale. It’s all quite weird, but really really well done. Everything is grandiose and orchestral. Actually much prefer listening to this than FL. AJ: Noticed that Goddess on the Hiway is the most played song on Spotify. Not surprised it’s easily the best song. The Funny Bird right after it is pretty cool too. Tim Burton or Wes Anderson? Weird movie score music. Guy’s voice annoys me in most of the songs. Feel like Goddess was the single and it probably got a lot of people to listen. And then they got a Tim Burton or Wes Anderson movie score. And instead of a visual story, this guy just squeaked alot. Hudson Line voice was different and some guitar. That was ok too. Some good points, for sure. But nah.

killer first track, but went downhill in some foggy pop synth melancholy

This is an interesting album. I liked the song Hudson Line (cool sax, cool guitar) but it mostly felt like showtunes. Very diverse.

Quite boring honestly

Quirky, harmless, not exciting; not sure how NME gave this an "album of the year" award

Actually listened to Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus: 3

Sounds an awful lot like Flaming Lips to me. Not sure which one came first, but I'm not a huge fan of either.

2.7 couple of good ones

This was weird. And not in a good way. Couldn’t get past the third song.

Decent,

I think I might be wrong as the Internet loves this...but I struggled so bad, I found it so limp and lackluster and his voice was aggravating, 2 stars, but there is a part of me that think I may have not given it a real chance...

Bara stråkar

This one was...different, lol. I'm not entirely sure if I liked it or not, but it was an interesting trip to be sure. The vibe was like, Tim Burton releases an album that sounds like the 70's, but was made in the 90's. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but I was left a little wanting. I can't think of one song that really stood out (I'm re-listening to some songs to write this review), they all had a very similar sound which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Very ethereal and dreamy, and I don't know if I ever figured out exactly what the album was trying to say. There were also a few lyric-less musical interludes that I rather enjoyed. It kind of had a few songs with early White Stripes vibes, which I can definitely get down with. This is especially prevalent in the lead singer's sound which reminded me of Jack White especially on Goddess on a Hiway. I could see several songs appearing in the slow moving, climactic final scene in a Tarantino film, so it feels like a product of its time. Favorite track: Goddess on a Hiway

I probably suck but I found this incredibly boring

It’s Arcade Fire with more theremin, less tympani, and a whole lotta weed.

I've never heard of this, and the cover isn't giving much away. I'm guessing some kind of indie rock? omfg this guy would have to be the worst lyricist of all time. This is laughably bad, his rhymes are I guess meant to be whimsical, but fuck they come off as PATHETIC. oh and the music is just some equally annoying, toothless garbage. Genuinely frustrating to listen to. 2/5.

This album has some very nice moments, but it struggles to really maintain or develop them. Like a joke without a punchline. Like a firefly without a light. Like a ship without a rudder. Two sad dogs without a bone. 🐕🐕

Nope

Fav songs: - Goddess on a Hiway

I liked the first song. I remember theres a line about moles in holes. Thought it was alright at best.

-First half of the album is megaboring -Album picks up in the second half. "Hudson Line," and "Funny Bird" were good. -"Funny Bird" was probably the best, it actually got heavy -"Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" has a good thumping groove, but the back half of the song is just random noise nonsense -Honestly there are like 6 minutes of quality music on this album, it was bordering on a 3 but so much is boring crap so it gets a 2

2/5

Funny bird is a crazy journey. Delta sun bottleneck stomp sounds like bron-y-aur stomp.

A few track were ok, but overall I didn't enjoy most of this one. Sounded like Coldplay but like if they weren't that good yet. Nothing too memorable unfortunately

Never heard of this band before today. Eh the music is ok, nothing that immediately jumps out or grabs my attention. It is quite slow in some parts and almost put me to sleep. I'll give there other stuff a chance but I don't think I found my new favorite band.

Well-composed and well-performed music, albeit not very interesting at times to my admittedly untrained ears.

Lots of interesting musical ideas but I wasn’t too into it. I wasn’t crazy about the lead singer’s vocals. “Hudson Line” (which has a different lead vocalist) and “The Funny Bird” stood out as strong tracks.

A bit of a damp squib to cap off 50 albums of this project. Seen the Flaming Lips comparisons from many reviewers and immediately feared the worst. As it happens, it’s not as bad as that. But it’s still very meandering and dull for the most part. Doubt I’d ever return to this one.

Bof, ok. Il y a une belle tentative d’exploration, mais ça me laisse plutôt froid.

Was alright

Sorta of like Bob Dylan meets a theremin.

Not feeling it

My god, the music press went nuts for this one back in the day. But what a drag of an album in time- a tuneless singer, unnecessary theremin, an assortment of sounds and whistles here and there, floaty tracks with no discernible meanings. A pretentious affair with no levity.

If you close your eyes and pretend this is a lost Flaming Lips album it makes it even more disappointing.

Don’t really know Mercury Rev. I knew Holes but was only half-aware it was by them. And from the voice on that track, I assumed they were a comedy / pastiche band. And I still have that feeling as I listen to the tracks after Holes. The melody of Tonight It Shows made me initially think it was a cover of Stairway To Heaven. And I just don’t like that voice (sounds put-on). The high register (which in places sounds like someone playing a saw) and the fragments of popular and throwaway tunes do nothing to change this perception. I don’t find the album offensive, and it does have a old time Hollywood movie / dreamy quality in places. But call me a misery - music is music and this type of silliness is not what I look for in a band or album that I would choose to sit down & spend much time with.

Omfg this guy's voice is awful. Theremin. More theremin. Yeah, this isn't my thing. Not unlisten-to-able, not no discernable merit.

This is the fourth album from the rock band Mercury Rev, and was not expected to be a hit for the band, after their previous album was a flop. Because of this, the band tried new experimental sounds using classical instruments and a lot of instrumental parts on songs. This paid off, and the album became popular soon after release. It goes to show, that producing what you love - and are interested in - is better than adhering to commercial influences. The music was pretty chill and even gloomy for a rock band, but most critics loved the unique sound. I also liked the weirdness of this album, even if the music is not my normal choice.

Ridiculous.

Very weird, a few songs I enjoyed, but mostly a lot of strange stuff that didn't work for me.

A merry curve from the norm. Very Flamings Lips-ish, but not quite as entertaining

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Holes, Tonite It Shows Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Great story behind the album and I'm happy for them and all but the vocals man...

Does nothing for me and the singers voice is highly irritating. I was happy to listen to the instrumental aspect of this until the Funny Bird topped me over the edge in pure frustration.

2/5 not quite enough

There are several stunning compositions and brave production decisions throughout this album, but they're overshadowed by odd interludes and a cheese factor that's hard to shake and dates the LP heavily.

I listened at night and thought it was a little too ambient so tried again today. Same answer.  I flipped the first few songs  to a friend and asked what she thought. She said it sounded like a wave of music designed to be played  for your plants to listen to. I wasn't aware of such a genre but the first few songs seem to fit in nicely.  The beginning was painfully ambient but  I like some of the tunes  when they pick it up a bit. Examples: Opus 40 and Hudson Line. Happy End transitions to experimental / avant garde which didn't work for me. Overall,  most of it isn't rocking my boat. 

For whatever reason, I thought Mercury Rev was an industrial band..perhaps a Ministry side-project or something. Initially, I was pleasantly surprised to be served a fat slice of psych-pop. "Holes" is a catchy track that reminded me of some early Flaming Lips--a quick wikipedia-hole later and it turns out 3 of their members have been involved with the Flaming Lips (the more you know 🌈). Loving the spooky vibe on "Endlessly" and "I Collect Coins". And then, "Hudson Line" happens where some cheesy sax, guitar, organ (?), etc. solos just demolish the dreamscape vibe. The album blew it in the 2nd half. The Atlanta Falcons of albums. PATRIOTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL. At least the last track was goofy as hell. ⭐⭐

Forgettable

Rating: 4/10

Despite the very interesting history behind this album, it did literally nothing for me. Hell, I have forgotten what the first song even sounded like as I listen to the last song on the album. I mean, there is nothing about this album that sticks with me or will cause me to want to listen to any of its tracks in the future. "Not my thing" doesn't go nearly far enough in covering it.

Not my favorite. Good elements, something felt off though.

The funny bird was nice, added it to a playlist, but I just couldn't gel with this album

Lots of high pitched squealing/whistling noises. Very annoying.

Good band ruined by a dreadfully weak singer.

Mmmm. Going between 2 and 3 but going to round it down.

- worship or leave it