Swirling atmospherics and mantra-like lyrics abound on Mercury Rev's newest work Snowflake Midnight. Recorded almost exclusively in the band's Catskills, N.Y. laboratory, Snowflake Midnight sees MR continue experiments with laser harps, ad-hoc computer programs and random note generators resulting in a record that moves with grace between avant garde and traditional pop sensibilities. Standout tracks "Butterfly's Wing" and "Senses on Fire" exhibit the emphasis on letting the music define itself, as free as possible from human interference. Zooming in at nearly any magnification, Snowflake Midnight appears to be a resplendent fractal folding in upon itself, into something continually new, unpredictable and spontaneous, and yet so subtly self-aware, that it never fails to resemble itself as a whole.