mercury rev - the secret migration

lately i've been diggin the new mercury rev cd the secret migration -- which might actually trump their '98 magnum opus deserter's songs on the basis of the riddim section being a little more happening -- and noting the similarity a friend pointed out between the rev's sound and that of, um, the polyphonic spree, the main difference being that it sounds as though tim delaughter took the more obvious aspects of his model's sound and _simplified_ 'em (kinda like jimmy page did with the yardbirds 'n' vanilla fudge when he was creating led zep). not that there's anything wrong with that (remember: an amateur borrows, a professional steals). i'm also struck by the similarity between the aforementioned big-name major label acts and the reliable local standbys and former grand street cryers in the chemistry set and coma rally -- specifically, how the wide-eyed wonderment of both delaughter and m.r. frontguy jonathan donahue's vocalismo recalls steve duncan's, while their melodic sense would be a ringer for tim locke's, if tim were given to robed-and-garlanded frolicking or waxing rhapsodic about the wonders o' nature. comparisons being odious, i'll just finish by saying, "a real nice rekkid."