Mercury’s Antennae – Among the Black Trees (Album)(Release/Review)

Seven years after the release of their celestial The Moon Viewing Garden EP (Sett Records, 2018), Mercury’s Antennae have re-emerged with their latest offering of sonic lullabies, Among the Black Trees. Nine existential tales inhabit a ghostly realm of reflection, rebirth and reconciliation, overlaying dense bass, swirling ghostly guitars, and atmospheric electronics, all melding with lustrous and soaring vocal melodies. Currently based between Geneva, Switzerland and Portland, Oregon in the US, the trio comprises Dru Allen (This Ascension), Cindy Coulter (This Ascension, Faith and the Muse), and Erick r. Scheid (The Palace of Tears). Their sound incorporates influences from shoegaze pop, ethereal darkwave, and unadorned acoustic beauty, often compared to ‘90s-era Projekt artists, while also drawing inspiration from modern ambient electronica.

Through the iconic Projekt label, Mercury’s Antennae released their debut album, A Waking Ghost Inside (2014); followed by The Guides EP (2015); and sophomore album, Beneath the Serene (2016). Their debut for Sett Records was 2018’s The Moon Viewing Garden EP, followed by appearances at prestigious festivals Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, Germany; and Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival in Whitby, England. It was also during this period (c.2018) that songs for Among the Black Trees were conceived, prior to a hiatus as members went on to explore other projects. Reflecting on the themes explored by the new album, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Erick r. Scheid says:

“Among the Black Trees is almost concept album in a way. Themes of love, death, rebirth, reconciliation and the imagined landscape of the unseen world are all intentionally, sonically and emotionally fed into the music. And Dru’s lyrical contribution truly adds a vastness of beauty and life to the music. Her lyrics on this album are my favorite; literally every song. Cindy was very receptive and active in writing this music alongside of me. While I had the demos, her ideas and creative insights held the music to be very truthful and not to be too overindulgent. Her openness to explore a deeper bass sound with tunings makes this album truly different from all our previous work. Both Dru and Cindy have had a huge impact on this work, and it’s the first album where we all three equally wrote the music together.”

Bassist Cindy Coulter expands on this collaboration, and the influence of she and Erick’s proximity to each other in Portland:

“For a large part of the song-making process, Erick and I lived in the same city, which was a first since I joined this project, and we became a trio. It was really great to bounce ideas off of each other in person, rather than passing files electronically as we had done on previous releases. It was pretty great to get immediate feedback on ideas and concepts, and I think you can hear that in this work we created.”

The album casts a shimmering light on the earthly tale of a scorched and blackened wilderness, lonely yet peaceful, kept in stillness from a violent death of fire and ash only to find its way to growth, healing and resolve. The work is collectively inspired by forest fires in the Pacific Northwest, and a longing to find solace and quiet from chaotic times, from the passing of loved ones and cherished friendships, from the esoteric search for meaning as we dare to step into the unknown beyond the duality of darkness and light. Among the Black Trees is Mercury’s Antennae’s most personal offering recorded as of yet. Vocalist and lyricist Dru Allen, now based in Geneva, Switzerland, elaborates:

“…there was loss, grief, and ruptures in different kinds of relationships for each of us. The pandemic exacerbated feeling separate. To be frank, over a period of years some of us exchanged only a few words with each other. Erick started a new project, but if he had not done that, he would not have upped his technical skills, musicianship, and experience performing live and even online shows. So, where there was this loss, this hole, it turned into a fertile space. I also had some growth musically because I have always loved world music but I never thought about pursuing other styles. Geneva is extremely multicultural, so I have attended many singing workshops and seminars from different traditions, focusing mostly on Balkan and Georgian music.”

Cindy adds:

“This work has certainly been through a journey! A few band-member moves, a global pandemic, and a lot of distance inbetween. I am elated that it is finally seeing the light of day, and going to an audience that I hope will get enjoyment and inspiration from it. We all put our heart and soul into it. I think it's our best album to date (I know every musician says that, but I really mean it!), and I believe it's more poignant now than ever.”

While continuing to move their sonic artwork forward on these beautifully rendered compositions, the album captures the band in their progression towards darker, fuller sounds unlike their previously loftier releases. The album explores Cindy’s lower tuned driving bass, Erick’s fuzzy shimmery 12-string hollowbody guitar enveloped in echoing layered electronics, and Dru’s dream-felt and delicate yet driven vocals that confront feelings of dissolution and the return to wholeness.

Among the Black Trees is released through Sett Records to mark the Spring Equinox on 20 March 2025. The single ‘The Reflecting Skin (William Faith Remix)’ preceded the album in February.