How do you follow an album that, more than any other in recent memory, evoked the American landscape at its wildest, grandest and emptiest? For Mercury Rev, faced with the magnificent success of 1998's 'Deserter's Songs', the answer is simple: turn in on yourselves.
'All Is Dream' maps a subconscious terrain, one where dream logic takes hold and every spider, fly and passing serpent has profound significance. Here, the visions are even more monumental and, correspondingly, the music is even more expansive and audacious. Make no mistake, this album sounds incredible: cascading orchestrations, pulsating and instantly memorable tunes, an atmosphere that's both accessible and palpably psychedelic.
The sequels to revered albums are almost invariably disappointing, even from the best bands. 'All Is Dream' royally bucks the trend: from the Neil Young-gone-symphonic crescendos of 'The Dark Is Rising', right through to the spiralling guitar finale of 'Hercules' it is, if anything, an improvement on 'Deserter's Songs'.
The massive influence of The Band has dissipated, and in its place come homages to the Great American Musical. Showtunes and children's music have been a constant aspect of Mercury Rev's five albums, of course. But the focus and the flourishes here are writ large: the spotlit shimmer of 'A Drop In Time'; the melodramatic guile of 'Spiders And Flies'; the flip reference to Cabaret star Joel Gray in the haunting 'Lincoln's Eyes'.
It's as if frontman Jonathan Donahue has purged his psyche of all the monsters and spooks, then set them loose on Broadway. And the result? A record of astonishing scope and charm, and one that only Spiritualized may match for quality this year. Magical.
