by Ellen the Felon
I admit, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Mercury’s Antennae’s latest album, “Among The Black Trees” and I didn’t like it… I LOVED it!… The “ethereal” sound and poetic lyrics grabbed me from the start and reminded me of all the best aspects of the 80’s music I love, like The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cocteau Twins.
Their label describes the band as “currently based between Geneva, Switzerland and Portland, Oregon in the US, the trio comprises Dru Allen (This Ascension), Cindy Coulter (This Ascension, Faith and the Muse), and Erick r. Scheid (The Palace of Tears). Their sound incorporates influences from shoegaze pop, ethereal darkwave, and unadorned acoustic beauty, often compared to ‘90s-era Projekt artists, while also drawing inspiration from modern ambient electronica.”
The synopsis of this latest album is as follows: “Seven years after the release of their celestial The Moon Viewing Garden EP (Sett Records, 2018), Mercury’s Antennae have re-emerged with their latest offering of sonic lullabies, Among the Black Trees. Nine existential tales inhabit a ghostly realm of reflection, rebirth and reconciliation, overlaying dense bass, swirling ghostly guitars, and atmospheric electronics, all melding with lustrous and soaring vocal melodies.” I don’t think I could describe the musical aesthetic of this album any more perfectly!
Reflecting on the themes explored by the new album, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Erick r. Scheid says: “Among the Black Trees is almost a concept album in a way. Themes of love, death, rebirth, reconciliation and the imagined landscape of the unseen world are all intentionally, sonically and emotionally fed into the music. And Dru’s lyrical contribution truly adds a vastness of beauty and life to the music. Her lyrics on this album are my favorite; literally every song. Cindy was very receptive and active in writing this music alongside of me. While I had the demos, her ideas and creative insights held the music to be very truthful and not to be too overindulgent. Her openness to explore a deeper bass sound with tunings makes this album truly different from all our previous work. Both Dru and Cindy have had a huge impact on this work, and it’s the first album where we all three equally wrote the music together.”
Vocalist and lyricist Dru Allen, now based in Geneva, Switzerland, elaborates:
“…there was loss, grief, and ruptures in different kinds of relationships for each of us. The pandemic exacerbated feeling separate. To be frank, over a period of years some of us exchanged only a few words with each other. Erick started a new project, but if he had not done that, he would not have upped his technical skills, musicianship, and experience performing live and even online shows. So, where there was this loss, this hole, it turned into a fertile space. I also had some growth musically because I have always loved world music but I never thought about pursuing other styles. Geneva is extremely multicultural, so I have attended many singing workshops and seminars from different traditions, focusing mostly on Balkan and Georgian music.”
Bassist Cindy Coulter adds: “This work has certainly been through a journey! A few band-member moves, a global pandemic, and a lot of distance in between. I am elated that it is finally seeing the light of day, and going to an audience that I hope will get enjoyment and inspiration from it. We all put our heart and soul into it. I think it’s our best album to date (I know every musician says that, but I really mean it!), and I believe it’s more poignant now than ever.”
A further description of “Among The Black Trees” offers this… “The album casts a shimmering light on the earthly tale of a scorched and blackened wilderness, lonely yet peaceful, kept in stillness from a violent death of fire and ash only to find its way to growth, healing and resolve. The work is collectively inspired by forest fires in the Pacific Northwest, and a longing to find solace and quiet from chaotic times, from the passing of loved ones and cherished friendships, from the esoteric search for meaning as we dare to step into the unknown beyond the duality of darkness and light. Among the Black Trees is Mercury’s Antennae’s most personal offering recorded as of yet.”
“While continuing to move their sonic artwork forward on these beautifully rendered compositions, the album captures the band in their progression towards darker, fuller sounds unlike their previously loftier releases. The album explores Cindy’s lower tuned driving bass, Erick’s fuzzy shimmery 12-string hollow-body guitar enveloped in echoing layered electronics, and Dru’s dream-felt and delicate yet driven vocals that confront feelings of dissolution and the return to wholeness.”
Again, it’s rare for me to be in such total agreement of an album’s description OR to like EVERY SINGLE TRACK on a new album, that I’ve never heard before, but this one really took me on a journey, with its clear vocals, flowing lyrics and beautifully rendered and layered melodies. If you’re looking for the perfect fusion of alternative, darkwave, dream pop, electronica, ethereal, shoegaze music, THIS is the album for you!