Mercury Rev @ The Caves, Edinburgh, 25 Apr
Tonight's show at The Caves provides surprise appearances from living legend Vashti Bunyan, along with a rare opportunity to bask in the hazy glow of nostalgia with Deserter's Songs played in its entirety
20 years ago, Deserter's Songs was released and helped catapult Mercury Rev to international success and critical acclaim. They went from being a fairly obscure avant-pyschedelic group to orchestral chamber pop superstars practically overnight. Despite occasional subsequent flourishes, they've never quite reached the same heights and their popularity has waned over the years. But, on the strength of tonight's performance, the power and depth of Deserter's Songs hasn't aged a day.
This anniversary tour strips the album down to its essential components: partially acoustic backing and Jonathan Donahue's celestial voice. Donahue is more talkative than usual, offering interesting little tidbits about the making of the album, its inspiration and influences and how this tour is the first time they've really gotten to play it the way they wrote it; in an attic during the wee hours, quietly, to avoid complaints from neighbours. This vignette offers wonderful context to the show, and the album's vulnerability really shines through without the orchestral backing.
They play the whole album – minus the instrumentals – on just keys and guitars (electric, acoustic, pedal steel) with the occasional flute or harmonica, joined by support act Lyla Foy on backing vocals and guitar for the majority. There's also a choice cover of Pavement's Here that Donahue explains was a big influence on his songwriting. The renditions are flawless throughout and the emotion sparkles from the stage (much like the glitter on Donahue's face). And there's even an additional treat in the form of a surprise two-song cameo from cult folkstar Vashti Bunyan, first with her own 1966 single Train Song, then providing backing vocals for Endlessly.
The Caves provides a rustic backdrop for Donahue's delicate invocations, Sean "Grasshopper" Mackowiak's harmonica laments on the whole band's epic freakout at the end of Opus 40. Despite making a sound so light and ephemeral, it's clear that the band captured a moment in time with Deserter's Songs, one that resonated with a whole generation and has been held dear by fans ever since. Tonight's show provides a rare opportunity to re-live those feelings and bask in the hazy glow of nostalgia.