After David Baker left the group for weirder pastures, the rest of Mercury Rev returned with See You on the Other Side, an album very much in the group's expansive, experimental tradition, yet distinct from its work with Baker. The sprawling compositions, elaborate arrangements, and jazzy leanings Mercury Rev perfected on Boces return on See You on the Other Side, as exemplified by the opening track, "Empire State (Son House in Excelsis)." But without Baker's merry prankster vocals, the album feels a bit unbalanced, as though the group was still adjusting to making music without him when the album was recorded. The lean, tense "Young Man's Stride" could've had even more impact had Baker sung it but, for the most part, Jonathan Donahue handles all the vocal duties ably, swinging the group toward its gently whimsical side in the process. The brilliant single "Everlasting Arm" sweetly deconstructs Pet Sounds-style pop years before that became one of indie rock's dominant styles, while "A Kiss From an Old Flame (A Trip to the Moon)" lives up to its title with giddy, swirling flutes and otherworldly backing vocals. Dreamy, yearning songs like "Sudden Ray of Hope" and "Racing the Tide" revel in the unabashed prettiness that Mercury Rev used to hide under layers of freaked-out guitars, and "Peaceful Night," the group's quirky take on Tin Pan Alley songwriting, proves that they weren't getting less inventive as time went on, they were just getting subtler about it. See You on the Other Side's relatively short length adds to its rather unfair middle-child status, but it pointed the way toward Mercury Rev's breakthrough with Deserter's Songs, and is a completely charming -- if underrated -- album in its own right.
:: TRACKLIST ::1 Empire State (Son House In Excelsis) 7:29
2 Young Man's Stride 2:43
3 Sudden Ray Of Hope 5:18
4 Everlasting Arm 5:15
5 Racing The Tide 7:31
6 Close Encounters Of The 3rd Grade 3:03
7 A Kiss From An Old Flame (A Trip To The Moon) 4:22
8 Peaceful Night 3:32
Japan Bonus Track9 Cartwheel 7:07
Personnel:Adapted from the liner notes
Dave Fridmann – Bass Explore, B-3, Pianos, Dual Vocals
Jonathan Donahue – Vocals, Harmony Rocket Guitars, Guitorgan, Bowed Saws and Sounds
Jimy Chambers – Drumming, Mojo Stick, Wurlitzer Electric Pianos
Grasshopper – Guitar Shapes, Single Exhaust Clarinet, Tettix Wave Accumulator®
Suzanne Thorpe – Quartz Arhoolie Flutes, French Horns
All Horns and Strings arranged by Donahue/Grasshopper, except "Sudden Ray of Hope" by Chambers/Thorpe
Mark Marinoff – Saxophones
Matt Jordan – Trumpets
Rachel Handman – Strings
Chris Reilly – Tablas
Jake Congelo – Piano on "Peaceful Night"
Carmen Quinoñes – Female Vocals on "Racing the Tide" and "Close Encounters of the 3rd Grade"
Tomcat Stamos – Expressed Male Interruptions on "Close Encounters of the 3rd Grade"
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