The Mercury Program
From The Vapor Of Gasoline
[Tiger Style]
Rating: 7.2
Okay, let's all be honest here. Am I the only one out there who is getting
worn out by the inundation of post-rock and avant-garde instrumental music
which has recently struck us? Granted, it usually seems rather creative at
first, but how many times can one really listen to the same unusual riff
before the wave of aural numbness crashes down? Modal scales are certainly
interesting enough in moderation, but only a few bands can successfully
integrate them into every song without the listener wondering "Didn't I hear
this same theme in songs 3 and 7 already?" As the indie world waits
patiently for the reemergence of revered groups like Tortoise and June of
44, only the most courageous, avid fans of the genre dare to enter the fray
of dangerously mediocre post-rock that sounds so bizarre that it often
passes for genius.
The most recent heirs to the vacant post-rock throne are The Mercury
Program, a four piece ubiquitously championed by critics and misanthropic
webloggers alike. Many have attributed a prodigious talent to these four
musicians that may not be undeserved, but is definitely premature. From The
Vapor Of Gasoline is a fine record, full of atmospheric tones and unique
songwriting, but it is not the post-rock opus that so many have dubbed it.
Of course, this is never the fault of the The Mercury Program, but instead the record
labels that incessantly proclaim that each release is "surely a classic" or
"certainly their best effort to date by far."
Though probably not a classic, From The Vapor Of Gasoline is a solid
sophomore release which carves its own niche in the venerable post-rock
canon. This record is home to an interesting blend of noise, twisting
flowing guitar figures with ephemeral vibraphone sound, backed by the
pervasive polyrhythmic tappings of snare and crash cymbals. Tracks like
"Reinventing a Challenge For Machines" and "Highways Like Veins" feature a
cutting breed of puncturing guitar which serves as The Mercury Program's
signature sound. As my dad remarked earlier, "This stuff will knock you
out," referring not to the sonic might of the tracks, but to the fact that
the somber moodiness and repetitive quality of many of the songs puts one to
sleep very quickly if one is not careful.
Following in the footsteps of many of their musical progenitors, The
Mercury Program's original sound tends to be a bit too readily apparent and
redundant in each song, with the feel of each track more or less exactly the
same. From The Vapor Of Gasoline lacks the musical versatility and variety
of a truly consummate record, as the same combinations of instruments,
identically calibrated, surfaces throughout. Like any forward thinking
post-rock outfit, The Mercury Program sprinkle frugal amounts of vocals on
choice tracks, such as the effervescent "The Sea Is In Here" and the shadowy
"Leaving Capitol City For Good," but this is not sufficient to drive The
Mercury Program over the city limits from Pretty-Goodville into
Smack- You- Around- Like- A- Naughty- Schoolboytown. From The Vapor Of Gasoline
showcases a band with much potential in the form of a record that is good
for what it is, but not groundbreaking.
-Taylor M. Clark