YERSELF IS STEAM

Yerself is Steam is the debut studio album by American rock act Mercury Rev. I only know the band from their post David Baker period so listening to this debut album is a rather different experience.

The music is experimental rock with lots of psychadelic tendencies. There´s even a goth rock influence in the song Blue and Black. Many of the songs are repetitive in nature but there´s always some strange sounds to make the music interesting. The 12:15 minute long Very Sleepy Rivers which ends the album is a great example of the psychadelic rock music on display here or the great opener Chasing a Bee with it´s strange interrupting sound effects.

The musicianship is good and tight and the production is allright even though it´s not excellent. A bit more bottom would have made it more enjoyable. David Baker isn´t a distinct vocalist but he certainly got something charming that saves his performance from being mediocre.

Yerself is Steam is not an album I listen to very often but it´s the kind of album I´m happy to have listened to because there are many inspiring experimental moments to enjoy. As a whole the album doesn´t satisfy my taste but I´ll acknowledge that it´s interesting and will rate it 3 stars. Recommended to fans of alternative, experimental and psychadelic rock music.