The Secret Migration

Produced by longtime collaborator Dave Fridmann, 'The Secret Migration' is sure to delight fans of Mercury Rev's wide screen, psychedelia-tinged rock, offering more of a hopeful outlook than some of the darker material on 2001's 'All Is Dream.' Highlights include the propulsive, shimmering 'Vermillion' & the exhilarating 'Arise,' dashed with Fridmann's flair for sonic detail. No domestic release is scheduled until April 2005. V2.

Mercury Rev’s sixth album Secret Migration is a high flying psychedelic concept record filled with paeans to Mother Nature. Singer Jonathan Donahue has never been so in touch with his inner hobbit as he is here. Dave Fridmann remains the band’s producer, which is excellent as he’s the most interesting part of the band, and a great deal of the reason that the band’s best album, ‘98’s Deserter’s Songs, is as good as it is. M. Rev has never been a wildly original band--they’ve been aesthetically joined-at-the-hip with the Flaming Lips for much of their career, and "Diamonds" almost sounds like a parody of Wayne Coyne and crew. But there’s something beguiling about the band, a childlike simplicity that runs through their modern-day prog anthems. On "My Love," Donahue sings "Ain’t it amazing when the seasons begin to change/Someone behind the scenes just seems pull some strings," and as daft as that sounds, well, he’s right! As ecological stoner anthems go, these are righteous. --Mike McGonigal