Combining some of the most innovative minds in their respective genres, it seems almost impossible that an album from late rocker Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) and producer Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) could fail. Well, Dark Night of the Soul proves this theory absolutely correct. After being shelved for a year in light of legal issues, the album has finally hit indie music shelves to the delight of indie music fans.
Combining the somber and classic rock nature of Sparklehorse with creative production of Danger Mouse, Dark Night of the Soul features appearances and collaborations with artists including Julian Casablancas, Black Francis, James Mercer, David Lynch, and the Flaming Lips. The eclectic nature of the album appeals to lovers of a myriad of genres and is complete with enough big names to make it incredibly alluring. Even with the mish-mash of artists and styles of music, the album accents both of the artists’ individual talents perfectly.
Blending two very different artists, while still remaining cohesive, Dark Night of the Soul is an incredibly well engineered and unique collection of tracks. Complete with a 100 page book by David Lynch including original photo art, the album is an oddity in the music world. Due to issues with copyright, the CD enclosed in the package itself contains no music and comes complete with the message “For legal reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will.” Of course you’ll want to download the album from NPR or various online music outlets.
The all-star cast represented in Dark Night of the Soul is backed perfectly by Danger Mouse’s sinister electronic soundtrack. Each artist showcases their individual talents creating an indie smorgasbord that stays interesting without becoming too convoluted.
Listeners might believe that the dynamic sound and success of the album is based on the talent of each of its contributors. While this may be empirically true, long time fans of Sparklehorse will be able to immediately tell that he is behind it. Possessing the same sense of wonderment and sober atmosphere that can be found in his previous albums, Dark Night of the Soul is without a doubt Linkous’ work and a good follow-up to his 2006 release Dreamt for Light Years.
Hearkening back to prime moments in their careers, the contributing artists share elements of their best music. “Revenge” represents the Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips vibe, while “Little Girl” is reminiscent of Julian Casablancas on the first Strokes release Is This It? The female sung songs including “Daddy’s Gone” sung by Nina Persson and “The Man Who Played God” featuring Suzanne Vega offer feminine similarity to Sparklehorse’s work.
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse have created a dynamic and infinitely diverse album in Dark Night of the Soul. Combining some of the greatest minds in old school and modern indie, the album is the perfect illustration of an imperfect world. Capturing of the solemn contemplation and wonderment that had always driven the music of Mark Linkous, Dark Night of the Soul is a true showcase of an artist that will be greatly missed.
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And your writing has been greatly missed! Very cool, I’d heard some things about this but hadn’t had anyone put it together like you have, well done!