Mercury Rev - Butterfly’s Wing

The idea of dancing to a Mercury Rev song is still a strange one. The fragile beauty that was ‘Deserter’s Songs’ has been replaced (or at least hidden) under waves of ambient, moody electronica for a couple records now, and, with the release of the beat-heavy new record, ‘Snowflake Midnight’, it seems that there is no going back. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as first single ‘Butterfly’s Wing’ proves. While it doesn’t have the stark grandeur of Jonathan Donahue’s past efforts, or any real insightful lyrics to speak of, it still provides a journey within the song that vindicates the endeavor.

The Flaming Lips comparisons that have rightfully dogged the band won’t disappear with this release, but there is a modern and earnest quality to this track that the Lips haven’t achieved in years. While not breaking any new ground sonically, the song still has a rich, layered tone that doesn’t become droning or static. There is a dynamic sense of freedom found within the track, and space to get lost in. Jonathan’s been lost in that space, musically, for years now, for better or for worse.