Four albums in and
Mercury Rev
remain as surprising and daring as ever -- exchanging the volcanic noise and twisted sensibilities of earlier releases for ornate arrangements and ethereal strings,
Deserter's Songs
unlocks the beauty always hidden just below the band's surface, its lush harmonics and soothing textures bathing in an almost unearthly light. Standouts including the exquisitely
waltz
-like
"Tonite It Shows"
and the celestial
"Endlessly"
are like lullabies, their music-box melodies gentle and narcotic; even the most
pop
-oriented moments like
"Opus 40"
and
"Hudson Line"
share a symphonic, candy-colored majesty far removed from conventional
rock
idioms. Complete with its fractured instrumental interludes and odd effects,
sounds like no other album -- for that matter, it doesn't even sound like
, yet there's no mistaking the record's brilliance for anyone else. ~ Jason Ankeny