Mercury Rev Announce New Album 'Born Horses', Share Lead Single Patterns
Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev have returned with details of a new album.
'Born Horses' will arrive through Bella Union on September 6, marking the American psych-rock band's first full-length release of new, original material since 2015's 'The Light In You', though in 2019 they put out a Bobbie Gentry tribute record.
Citing minimalist composer Tony Conrad and beat poet Robert Creeley as inspirations, the band have dropped a teaser in the form of the LP's lead single, Patterns, an ethereal blend of spoken word lyrics, Vangelis-esque synths and guitars. Speaking about the record's origins, the band's Grasshopper explained:
"When Jonathan and I first met, one thing we bonded over was Blade Runner, both Ridley Scott’s film and Vangelis’ soundtrack: that feel of the past and the future, the haunting noir mood and the romance of the future… 'Born Horses' taps into some of that. Looking back to childhood, to Broadway tunes, to lonesome blues, Chet Baker, Miles Davis’ Sketches Of Spain, records that our parents listened to, but we put a twist into the future. From the beginning, Mercury Rev were on a cusp, between analogue and digital, hi-fi and lo-fi at the same time. It was like Brecht or Weill, the words suggesting visuals, and the visuals suggesting moods. We also thought a lot about the desert on this record, and the urban desert."
They said of the track: "When we gaze up at the stars in the sky at night, the flickering lights seem random. If we could zoom out and see all of the galaxies revolving around each other, we would see the order in it. There are only Patterns on top of Patterns…"
Mercury Rev will tour Australian and New Zealand this August, before UK and European shows in the autumn, with further UK dates scheduled for spring 2025. Tickets are on sale now.
'Born Horses' tracklist:
1. Mood Swings
2. Ancient Love
3. Your Hammer, My Heart
4. Patterns
5.A Bird Of No Address
6. Born Horses
7. Everything I Thought I Had Lost
8. There’s Always Been A Bird In Me
Mercury Rev Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sun August 18 2024 - AUCKLAND Powerstation
Sun October 27 2024 - BELFAST Mandela Hall
Mon October 28 2024 - LIMERICK Dolans
Tue October 29 2024 - GALWAY Roisin Dubh
Wed October 30 2024 - CORK Cyprus Avenue
Thu October 31 2024 - DUBLIN Button Factory
Sat November 02 2024 - NORWICH Arts Centre
Sun November 03 2024 - BRISTOL Bristol Trinity
Mon November 04 2024 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Boiler Shop
Wed November 06 2024 - GLASGOW Garage
Thu November 07 2024 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Fri November 08 2024 - CAMBRIDGE Junction 1
Thu March 13 2025 - LIVERPOOL Content
Fri March 14 2025 - MANCHESTER New Century
Sat March 15 2025 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Mon March 17 2025 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
Tue March 18 2025 - LONDON EartH
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
