After a nearly seven year hiatus, Gainesville's The Mercury Program? return with the stunning Chez Viking, as lavishly textured and ornate a release as the band has ever realized. Taking the time off between recordings ( M.P.'s last offering was 2003's excellent The Confines Of Heat) has seemingly given the band members, now stretched across a few states, a certain wisdom about song crafting. They've always relied on a setting a certain mood, arranging vibes, guitar, rhodes, and electronics in just that perfect marriage of sweeping crescendo and complexity. And that certainly is happening here. Tracks like Arrived/Departed start off like an old friend...instantly recognizable to any fan. But mid-way through, you realize the DEPTH of what's happening. The drums seem a little less forced. The melody, a little more natural. And all of this, without sounding contrived, or formulaic, a trap Mercury Program could very easily fall into. Thankfully they haven't.
Recorded and mixed at Brooklyn's regarded Civil Defense, with mastering handled by Bob Weston, certainly adds to Chez Viking's charms. Overall, a terrific welcome back for one of post-rock's more creative, and sorely missed, bands.

As side note, M.C. played the Tampa area several times in their more active days, and were always nothing short of fantastic. DO NOT miss the chance to see them with Fin Fang Foom, and our boys Auto! Automatic!!?, on March 12th. at Crowbar. Seriously.