Mark Linkous has always taken a generous amount of time to deliver new Sparklehorse albums. There was a nearly four-year gap between Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot and Good Morning Spider (which was understandable, as recovering from a near-fatal accidental overdose tends to take some time), and while the two and a half years between that album and 2001's It's a Wonderful Life were closer to the norm for most artists, the time period was still sizable. The five-year span between It's a Wonderful Life and Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain wasn't just sizable, it was long enough to raise expectations of what the album could deliver to unreasonable levels. Early reports that Linkous was going to collaborate with forward-thinking producer/electronic artist Fennesz on the album did nothing to sink those expectations either (as it happened, the pair teamed up for some live dates, but not in the studio). Despite the wait, Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain ends up feeling like quintessential Sparklehorse: there are some driving, searching rockers ("Ghost in the Sky"); some otherworldly allads ("Return to Me"); lots of mellow, thoughtful pop; and just as many lyrics overflowing with images of honey, flowers, dirt, ghosts, and (of course) horses. This time around, though, it all feels more streamlined and straightforward, which is a little bit disappointing considering how long the album took to arrive and how much Linkous' music evolved on the other Sparklehorse albums. Nevertheless, there's still a beautiful balance of atmosphere and songcraft on Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain, particularly on "Some Sweet Day," "Knives of Summertime," and "Shade and Honey," which was originally part of the Laurel Canyon soundtrack as performed by Alessandro Nivola. Linkous' collaborators on the album include longtime Sparklehorse contributor Dave Fridmann and the Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd, both of whom turn in sympathetic but not especially distinctive performances; surprisingly, the same can be said of Danger Mouse's work on the album, which is most recognizable on the manipulated beats and electronic doodles on "Getting it Wrong." Actually, the most remarkable feature of Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain is its almost narcotic gentleness, particularly on "See the Light," "Morning Hollow" (a track with Tom Waits that was left over from the It's a Wonderful Life sessions), and the title track, which closes the album with ten minutes of serene atmospherics. Peaceful and undeniably pretty, this is an album that should please many Sparklehorse fans, even if it doesn't challenge them the way Good Morning Spider and It's a Wonderful Life's best moments did.
SparklehorseDreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A MountainVinyl 12" LP newDreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain is rife with a fuzzed-out grace and dark enchantment, featuring musical contributions by Danger Mouse, Tom Waits and Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips.Continuing to mine his unique brand of haunted rural melancholy with gossamer electronic traces and a skewed pop sensibi...
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Opener “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” coasts along for a dreamy 2:20 before skittering into a fuzzed-out, digitized guitar solo. It’s a glorious moment. Gentle indie-pop is pushed through the ringer and destroyed by sputtering static and noise. It’s much akin to the “Chk! Chk!” noises just before the chorus in Radiohead’s “Creep.” Then the moment ends, the song resumes, and the
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There are a lot of good people here at work and more than a few of these good good people have good good music tastes. Introducing me to new music by way of their shared itunes libraries or by dropping off their new music goodies at my desk.I've turned people on to Super Furries and Captain to name a few but this MOG is about them not me.Sparklehorse, Everything But the Girl, Elefant, The Blac...
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8:15 A.M. Awoke, showered, reluctantly left my lover’s apartment to brave a rain soaked Chicago morning.9:15 A.M. Become aware of some strong yet generalized anxiety about the coming day. The rain made me far too pensive for a Monday morning. I searched my collection for something to listen to that both compliments and cures my mood. Aha! The new Sparklehorse9:18:05 A.M. Realized I’d made a h
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I have come across a couple of news items posted on Angry Ape this week that made me absolutely pee myself. Not only do we get a Sparklehorse album featuring Tom Waits, shit-hot producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse, and others...We also get a new live double CD set from My Morning Jacket. I can't wait to hear both of these...Excuse me while I go change my pants now.
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SparklehorseDreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A MountainVinyl 12" LP newDreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain is rife with a fuzzed-out grace and dark enchantment, featuring musical contributions by Danger Mouse, Tom Waits and Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips.Continuing to mine his unique brand of haunted rural melancholy with gossamer electronic traces and a skewed pop sensibi...
More >
There are a lot of good people here at work and more than a few of these good good people have good good music tastes. Introducing me to new music by way of their shared itunes libraries or by dropping off their new music goodies at my desk.I've turned people on to Super Furries and Captain to name a few but this MOG is about them not me.Sparklehorse, Everything But the Girl, Elefant, The Blac...
More >
Some songs are instant favorites of mine from the very first instant that I hear them. Just now I stumbled upon one in the form of "Shade and Honey," from the new album by Sparklehorse. A bit of twangy guitar over a simple drumbeat and bits of organ bleed into a near-whispered vocal by Mark Linkous and just draws me in to a strange and wonderful place. It's practically Sparklehorse-by-numbers, ...
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I have come across a couple of news items posted on Angry Ape this week that made me absolutely pee myself. Not only do we get a Sparklehorse album featuring Tom Waits, shit-hot producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse, and others...We also get a new live double CD set from My Morning Jacket. I can't wait to hear both of these...Excuse me while I go change my pants now.
More >
Opener “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” coasts along for a dreamy 2:20 before skittering into a fuzzed-out, digitized guitar solo. It’s a glorious moment. Gentle indie-pop is pushed through the ringer and destroyed by sputtering static and noise. It’s much akin to the “Chk! Chk!” noises just before the chorus in Radiohead’s “Creep.” Then the moment ends, the song resumes, and the
More >
8:15 A.M. Awoke, showered, reluctantly left my lover’s apartment to brave a rain soaked Chicago morning.9:15 A.M. Become aware of some strong yet generalized anxiety about the coming day. The rain made me far too pensive for a Monday morning. I searched my collection for something to listen to that both compliments and cures my mood. Aha! The new Sparklehorse9:18:05 A.M. Realized I’d made a h
More >
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