Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse
(self-released)
Just by reading the credits - Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, David Lynch, Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, James Mercer, Suzanne Vega - you know this is either gonna be really cool or a half-baked slapped together mix tape compilations. Pfhhh! Danger Mouse would never let that happen and his production (which is somehow both vintage and futuristic at the same time) is the silver thread that ties this somber beast together.
Although it rarely gets particularly heavy, even with the sympathetic strings, airy static bleeps and swells of orchestral harmony, this is a dark album about lonely people searching for connection. If Wayne Coyne singing about "bringing you fuckers down" or Vic Chesnutt talking about "cutting a baby out" doesn't do you in, David Lynch's creepy ass cinematic delivery surely will. And you have to dig how Danger Mouse makes you feel like you snorted an OxyContin during Jason Lytle's (Grandaddy) powerful performance on "Everytime I'm With You."
Unfortunately, at presstime EMI had blocked the release of the album for undisclosed reasons, leaving fans to seek out the music via underground avenues. Dark night indeed.
Standout Tracks: "Revenge," "Dark Night of the Soul" AARON KAYCE
