Just past the "Black Forest (Lorelei)" is The Secret Migration, Mercury Rev's imaginary world; so magical and unreal that it's no wonder they don't want to leave its safe confines. The Secret Migration is an enchanted forest, backlit by heaven, where good always triumphs over evil. Ask Lorelei for the nice white horse, he'll take you wherever you want to go.
Mercury Rev's distinctly shell-shocked, psychedelic Alt Rock is here in all its excessive glory, as in "Secret For A Song", "Across Yer Ocean", "Diamonds" and "Black Forest (Lorelei)" - all tranquilized wonders to behold. Impoverished, with only a piano and what sounds like the inside of a seashell, to its name is "Down Poured The Heavens" all bleak, sad and over before it starts and let us not overlook the wee song with a big message, "Moving On." Mercury Rev singer, Jonathon Donahue is so right when he sings," Just move ahead, it won't be long and it will be better in the sun."
Romantic love, mystery and (cough) something else hang heavy in the air. The Secret Migration is all about tone; it's an instrumental album - all dream-like atmosphere and aching feelings. "My Love", "In A Funny Way", "The Climbing Rose" and "First Time Mothers Joy (Flying)" are all shimmering, slow motion dreams of happiness. Jonathon Donahue struggles to be heard when drowning in the sad, staccato rock of "Vermillion" and "In The Wilderness" soars to new heights. The Secret Migration is the brief daydream you have, where you let your hearts desires run rampant before it disappears into unforgiving reality. The Secret Migration is a poem - a soliloquy for an ideal world.
Jonathon Donahue's luminous voice projects a certain kind of vulnerability into every corner of The Secret Migration. The lyrics seem naïve and even goofy (forest metaphors?), but that's half the point. The Secret Migration is not interested in the world as it is, but is interested in what the world should be; what most people want it to be. This is a point-of view record born out of nostalgia for a certain lifestyle. Sure, we're all going to hell in a hemp hand basket, but that's okay as long as you're listening to The Secret Migration. |