Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: One of the most beautifully constructed and hugely acclaimed albums that was first released in the late 1990's is reissued here and is a reminder of a magnificent selection of music by Mercury Rev that the listener can never tire of. From the sweeping orchestral opening track Holes all the way through to the bouncing Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp this album provides songs the listener will fall in love with one by one and never turn their backs on. Following on from the brilliant shambolic early releases by the band, Deserter's Songs was made by the band as a swan song of sorts. They were a chaotic outfit at the time with a changing and insecure line-up that finally managed to settle themselves down after the release of this and to end up with a new beginning and an existence that still remains today. Hints of jazz, folk and 60s psychedelia can be found hidden modestly within these melancholic tracks that have influences that can commonly be heard in a lot of albums other bands have released since this first came to the public's attention. Sweet, sad and tender vocals provided by founder member Jonathan Donahue make this an easy listening lovable album that deserves to be in everyone's collection and it's one that once there is guaranteed remain for years to come.
Produced by original bass player and founding member Dave Fridmann this album was recorded around the same time and in the same building as The Flaming Lips legendary Soft Bulletin album (also produced by Fridmann) and albeit a slightly different sounding album to Deserters Songs marks that period of time in The Catskill Mountains (100 miles NW of New York) as one of the most musically rewarding moments of time during the 1990's.
Goddess on a Highway was first conceived by front man Jonathan Donahue almost a decade earlier whilst he was a member of The Flaming Lips and the song was resurrected from an early demo he dug up. The songs' chorus of 'I know...it ain't gonna last' was probably the only thing they got wrong with this masterpiece. This album sounds just as fresh as it did three decades ago. It's been said that Deserters Songs could be one of the best albums ever made. Who are we to argue?