YERSELF IS STEAM

The material on the album are psychadelic rock with loads of noisy and distorted fuzzy sounding guitars. The atmosphere is bleak, claustrophobic, and generally sounds like a heroin dream gone bad. But on the other hand the band also produce more mellow and laid back songs and there´s even a goth rock influence heard on a track like "Blue and Black". Many of the compositions are hypnotic/repetitive in nature but there are always some strange sounds and effects to make the music interesting or some tranquil flute playing to break the cacophonous layered distorted guitar noises. The 12:15 minute long "Very Sleepy Rivers" which closes the album is a great example of the psychadelic rock music on display here and the great opener "Chasing a Bee" with it´s strange interrupting sound effects is another good example. Lead vocalist David Baker hasn´t got the most interesting or distinct sounding voice, but the passion and intensity of his performance make up for it.

The sound production lacks a bit of bottom and warmth, and considering the loose, jamming, and organic nature of Mercury Rev´s music, the material could have prospered from a more bass heavy and less trembly sound. This is an album for fans of noisy, organic, and psychadelic tinged rock. Although most songs feature some sort of vers/chorus structure, it´s not easy music and it´s generally quite noisy and challenging on the ears (to some it may even sound chaotic). A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

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