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Sparklehorse | It's A Wonderful Life

Mark Linkous offers a dark masterpiece.
CD, Capitol/EMI

Tekst: Nathalie Claeys

Publicatiedatum: 25 juni 2001

Just a couple of years ago Mark Linkous lay - legs twisted underneath him - on the ground. His world turned dark and moody. But he crawled back on his feet, and now he lets the world know that life is wonderful again after 'Good Morning Spider'. With Dave Fridmann lending a hand, it may seem Sparklehorse is in the same neo-psychedelic territory of Mercury Rev - whose 'Deserter's Songs' was also produced by the man. It is. And more. With contributions ranging from Portishead's Adrian Utley to Polly Jean Harvey and Cardigan Nina Persson, the sound of Sparkehorse tilts over to the sweet side and leaves behind the bitterness - but not completely. Listen to the twisted lyrics, and discover Mark still speaks in tongues. "I drank my liquor from the poem - or is that pond? - of a child that spoke in tongues." Exactly. The psychedelic touches can not only be found in the twisted lyrics, but also in the use of mellotron, moog, and optigan. It isn't merely vintage; it also adds a little electronica to give it a contemporary feel. The contribution of Polly Jean is certainly not sparse. 'Piano Fire' is noise pop coupled with the suppressed wail of Polly Jean Harvey. There's also 'Eyepennies', which will not only find the seal of approval from the indie scene - something Nick Cave failed to achieve - but it also lets you catch breath before 'Dog Door'. Then there's the frail voice of Nina Persson which can be found on the lullaby 'Gold Day' to the soft pleading 'Apple Bed'. Oh the irony! Why not invite the man who paved the way for your crooked madness. On 'Dog Door' the gravely voice of Tom Waits recalls 'Bone Machine' times. It stomps and shuffles, while Tom and Mark do a mad call and response. The next song slows down again. This is where I find 'It's A Wonderful Life' to be somewhat faulty. The mix of slowness and craziness sounds schizophrenic at times. Is he happy? Is he sad? Do we actually care? No. From the abrasive noise rock to dream pop, there are many sides to Mark Linkous. It's up to us to choose which one to embrace.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/sparklehorse/it-s-a-wonderful-life/1021/
Meer Sparklehorse op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/sparklehorse