I saw The Mercury Program at the Fireside Bowl years ago with The Firebird Band and swiftly grabbed a hold of almost their entire discography to that point, and then… nothing. A whole lot of nothing coming from the band. So just imagine my surprise when I found out the Gainesville, FL band just released their first new material in almost seven years in the form of a new album, Chez Viking. I’m happy to report that Chez Viking picks up exactly where the band left off years ago. Their instrumental post-rock is still a bit jazzy and still anchored around subtly changing repetitive melodic motifs. The drumming is top-notch and lock step with the grooving basslines and delay-heavy guitars. It is (however) still the vibraphone and Rhodes piano that adds a warmth and a tranquil tonality to Chez Viking and puts it over the top. Listening to The Mercury Program is like the musical equivalent of watching snow falling against a dark sky; like a shimmering sparkling meteor shower echoing and refracting through layers of rhythmic frozen rainfall. Seriously, this is as good as anything the band has ever done (my personal fave before this is All The Suits Began To Fall Off) and was recently made available by Lovitt Records.

MP3:
The Mercury Program - Arrived/Departed

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