Review: Drift City 'Mercurial Mirrors' LP

Hot off the heels of their very impressive contribution, Make Believe, from the 2020 Louisville Is For Lovers Valentine's compilation 'Dreaming In Love City' comes the first full length LP by the band Drift City, headed by the elusive J Rivers, titled Mercurial Mirrors.


The solid 8 song LP begins like a fever dream, halfway etherial, halfway ephemeral, as if saddling the ghost of Sparklehorse.

The album's first single, Sailor, sounds as if the ghostly dreampop of David Lynch collided with Johnny Jewel's candy coated synth-pop to create a smoldering Chromatics album at the dark end of the street. J Rivers vocal work evokes a feeling of beautiful agony that resonates throughout the entire LP.


Side B starts with the hopeful, gospel anchored Show Me The Way, before drifting back into twilight with Flock of Birds featuring Louisville legend Chris Rodehoffer's haunting peddle steel, but returns to a more hopeful feeling with So Memory. Unlike side A, which is masterful in its tragic beauty, side B shows the other hand, an uplifting and hopeful -if not a little more country- side to Drift City, like Hope Sandoval wrapped in southern charm.

In all, Mercurial Mirrors is a must for anyone who has kept up with the work of Drift City, or anyone who enjoys their dreampop a little darker and dipped in Kentucky roots.

Vinyl Nite Podcast #108: Drift City

Louisville garage rockers Drift City talks about their track, The Transmutable Heart, on Louisville Is For Lovers 2019, and their upcoming free show with Hawks at The Butchertown Social on Friday, March 29th. Event info here.

Louisville Is For Lovers 2019 Announced

Louisville Is For Lovers just announced this year's Valentine compilation release date and list of contributing artists. This year's album, vol. 14 in the series, will have 17 original tracks on CD or as a download and will be available on Feb.1st online and in Louisville record shops and can be pre-ordered now here.

This year's artists include first time contributors to the project including Drift City, Hawks, and Fiji Waters, as well as return guests including Brother Wolves, The Fervor, and Monkey Boy who was on the very first volume in 2001.  

This year the project has partnered with Studioworks for the artwork of the album. Studioworks provides a creative space for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities so that they may pursue their passion in creative arts. The CD package will come with one of four covers designed by artists at StudioWorks and each of the four packaging options will have it's own exclusive bonus track. A deluxe version will be available in Louisville record shops that includes high quality reproductions of all four designs and a 2nd disc with all four bonus songs.

The album release show also be at Studioworks on Friday, February 15th, and proceeds from the show will go to benefit the arts program. 

Further information on the album and partnership with Studioworks here.

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