"The Dark Is Rising…"
and that's not all. The singer's getting it up there
pretty good too! That would be Jonathan, by the looks of things,
for this soaring, flighty and somewhat majestic piano ballad of
an opener -- heavy on sincerity, soft on acoustics, a gently
swooning song of love, home, and dreams under a mysterious
moon.
The opening song is no aberration,
"Tides Of The Moon" follows the exact same pattern,
only now introducing a light percussion in the background.
This second track is almost the natural progression of its
predecessor. It carries the tune with a little more
distinction by way of additional background effects to go with
the simply-put half beat drum patterns. "Tides Of The
Moon" is an excellent song overall. An Oasis comparison at
this point would be way too easy, but let it settle in the back
of your mind for a minute, 'cause I'm sure it'll rear itself
again before long.
Mercury Rev follows the AOR format, almost
letter perfect, with timely entries into an Indie-Rock style
where we'll first get wind by "Chains," still in the
early going, the Gallagher-like intonations of Jonathan, easily
at home fronting the Pet Shop Boys should the position avail
itself. And there's an underlying percussive edginess,
though the overall mood can be described as nothing less than a
sweet evening breeze.
The flightiness introduced early on
continues throughout. Even though there are four players
at the core of "All Is Dream," there's a wide
assortment of additional musicians lending to the overall
atmosphere. At times folksy, occasionally symphonic, all
of these atmospheres contribute in both a subtle and noticeably
transient way.
"All Is Dream" is inarguably a
grown-up sound and its evident the band has spread their wings
many times before, where by the later moments, while a fair
amount of Oasis, shades of contemporary U2 and Lennon-like
harmony light the way for a peaceful journey toward blue skies
and better times.
