Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (Remastered / Deluxe Edition) (2011)

Four albums in and Mercury Rev remain as surprising and daring as ever -- exchanging the volcanic noise and twisted sensibilities of earlier releases for ornate arrangements and ethereal strings, Deserter's Songs unlocks the beauty always hidden just below the band's surface, its lush harmonics and soothing textures bathing in an almost unearthly light. Standouts including the exquisitely waltz-like "Tonite It Shows" and the celestial "Endlessly" are like lullabies, their music-box melodies gentle and narcotic; even the most pop-oriented moments like "Opus 40" and "Hudson Line" share a symphonic, candy-colored majesty far removed from conventional rock idioms. Complete with its fractured instrumental interludes and odd effects, Deserter's Songs sounds like no other album -- for that matter, it doesn't even sound like Mercury Rev, yet there's no mistaking the record's brilliance for anyone else.

1.01 - Mercury Rev - Holes (Remastered) (5:57)
1.02 - Mercury Rev - Tonite It Shows (Remastered) (3:40)
1.03 - Mercury Rev - Endlessly (Remastered) (4:25)
1.04 - Mercury Rev - I Collect Coins (Remastered) (1:27)
1.05 - Mercury Rev - Opus 40 (Remastered) (5:11)
1.06 - Mercury Rev - Hudson Line (Remastered) (2:54)
1.07 - Mercury Rev - The Happy End (The Drunk Room) (Remastered) (2:06)
1.08 - Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway (Remastered) (3:45)
1.09 - Mercury Rev - The Funny Bird (Remastered) (5:50)
1.10 - Mercury Rev - Pick Up If You're There (Remastered) (3:06)
1.11 - Mercury Rev - Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Remastered) (6:19)
2.01 - Mercury Rev - Piano Vs. Telephone (Cassette Tape Player Demo) (1:32)
2.02 - Mercury Rev - Holes (Bill Laswell 1998 Remix) (4:26)
2.03 - Mercury Rev - Pick Up, If You're There (DJ Nickel 1998 Remix) (3:49)
2.04 - Mercury Rev - Endlessly (Tascam 8 Track Reel To Reel Demo) (4:17)
2.05 - Mercury Rev - A Soft Kiss (For Waking Up) (Cassette Tape Player Demo) (3:36)
2.06 - Mercury Rev - Tonite It Shows (Tascam 8 Track Reel To Reel Demo) (3:30)
2.07 - Mercury Rev - Looking Back Now, I Can See... (Unreleased Mix) (1:38)
2.08 - Mercury Rev - Opus 40 (Early Rough Version) (5:24)
2.09 - Mercury Rev - Hudson Line (Early Rough Version) (3:04)
2.10 - Mercury Rev - Judging By The Moon (Cassette Tape Player Demo) (1:39)
2.11 - Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway (1989 Cassette Tape Player Demo) (4:09)
2.12 - Mercury Rev - Night On Panther Mountain (Unreleased Mix) (2:02)
2.13 - Mercury Rev - Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (Early Rough Version) (6:19)