Mercury Program

***New Myths is the fifth full-length by THE MERCURY PROGRAM. Formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1997, The Mercury Program released music on Boxcar, Tiger Style, and Kindercore Records and toured heavily through the early ’00s. Now split between distant locales—with members spread between New York, Gainesville, and Palm City—the band has become slightly hiatus-prone as of late. The quartet’s previous LP, Chez Viking, arrived seven years ago, in 2009. Another multi-year break divided that record from its predecessor, A Data Learn The Language. Meanwhile, shifting obligations have made it harder to occupy the same room, much less write and record new material. However, even though their time together has become more rarified, the band has retained its distinctive style and voice. As per Mercury Program’s previous releases, the music on New Myths is lush and consonant – a combination of nuanced rhythms, minimalist riffs, and hazy atmospheres. Melodies are gracefully swapped and shuffled between guitar, vibraphone, and Rhodes piano. The music is serene and often hypnotic. New Myths was written and recorded during five distraction-free days spent in Northwest Vermont with the band’s friend and touring sound engineer, PETER BARTSOCAS. Sketches from previous sessions were further refined and new songs quickly took form. The Mercury Program emerged from the trip with a nearly complete set of songs, with only “Constant Static” realized later, as drummer DAVE LEBLEU wove together and expanded on snippets of unfinished material. The record is the product of a week’s worth of studio time, but many years worth of thought and planning. It reflects The Mercury Program’s current state of operation—keeping a slow pace, but always moving forward.