It's hard to separate the career paths of Mercury Rev from the Flaming Lips. Both feature vocal chords on loan from Neil Young and at roughly the same time they transformed from a uncommercial style of psychedelic rock to the dreamy, fantasy-filled Americana which they perform today. In Mercury Rev's case, the turning point came with 1998's universally acclaimed 'Deserters Songs'. The formula was refined on 'All Is Dream' and now 'The Secret Migration' is all about consolidating their form. If anything, the new album is lighter and dreamier in tone, so much so that the opening songs drift by in pleasant but rather underwhelming fashion. Once the fourth track 'Black Forest (Lorelei)' kicks in, though, a ghostly presence is added to the soporific ambience, 'Vermillion' is blessed with a breathless, swooning chorus and 'First-Time Mother's Joy (Flying)' is the sweetest of ballads. Yet 'In A Funny Way' is the pinnacle; bringing together the tender and the dramatic with effortless grace, it's actually strangely reminiscent of Echo And The Bunnymen's 'Silver' in its arrangement. It takes a while to really get going but Mercury Rev prove that they still know how to make the most of a glossy production.