Woweee cha-cha-cha, The Mercury Four perfectly replicate the classic surf sounds of the early ‘60s. And they do it so meticulously well, I had the sudden urge to fill my bathtub full of lukewarm water; added a couple of cups of sodium chloride for that salty oceanic effect; cranked the central heat up to a balmy eighty-five degrees while placing a box-fan nearby and setting it on full-speed to create a nicely blended tropical breeze; quickly squirmed outta my battery-heated long-johns and slipped into a pair of brightly colored floral-splattered knee-length shorts; climbed into the tub and stood there with both legs braced and bent at the knees in the classic cowabunga stance while wildly flailing my arms in a hilarious attempt to balance myself on an invisible surfboard beneath my water-shriveled feet. I’m suddenly crestin’ on an imaginary twelve-foot wave that arose outta nowhere and overwhelmed me with such raging full-strength fury, I was forced to bail headfirst into the cold, uninviting tile of the bathroom floor. Yep, so much for pretend-surfin’ in a cramped frigid lavatory in the dead of winter! But the delightfully fun and sunny sounds of The Mercury Four will inspire a person to take such drastic measures for a bit of make-believe sandy-footed frolicking no matter what time of year it is! The hot-doggin’ killer-thriller keyboards, Herman Munster booty-twistin’ guitar fieriness, and roarin’ tidal wave’s crash of bass and drum interaction just can’t be beat. It’s all-at-once jubilant, youthful, and wild, wild, wild! Even the lil’ hula-girl statues on my stereo speakers were furiously shakin’ their backsides silly to this upbeat bundle of tropical thunder! Indeed, it’s a pleasurable spirit-rousing dose of tempestuous sonic paradise.
–Roger Moser Jr. (Mercury Four)