The Neon Klaw: Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse & David Lynch!

I first heard that Sparklehorse and Dangermouse had collaborated when they made the album ‘ We Dreamt for light years’, I must admit I was unsure as to how it would all work. The main shock was that it didn’t really change the ‘horse’ sound that much. What it added was subtle but very successful to the overall sound. Unfortunately though it didn’t have the same stand out tunes that ‘It’s a wonderful life’ and ‘Good morning spider’ had to make it note worthy. That time it was ‘just’ a Sparklehorse album, this time the two have collaborated with a host of vocalists and visual direction from the legend David Lynch. The music is what you’d expect from Mark Linkous, it has that familiar spacey folk sound that isn’t afraid to step on the distortion pedal from time to time. Vocally though each track has its own individual sound, whether its Julian Casablanca of strokes fame on ‘little girl’ singing about hanging out on a beach with his ‘twisted little girl’ or Iggy pop on the heavier ‘pain’ each guest makes their own distinct mark on the work.

You always feel like you’re listening to the same album though. As the tracks progress it takes you on a journey through different locations, like starring out the same window, at the same view but during different times of the day. This isn’t just a novelty album though, the reoccurring presence of Jason Lytle, Vic Chesnutt and James Mercer give the album some stability, with each of these songs sounding like they belong, and each vocalist fitting into the album as if they were original members of Sparklehorse and not just stand-in vocalists. I’ve yet to truly view the visuals by David Lynch. But judging by his obviously excellent track history and even his wonderful ‘Gucci’ advert, featuring Blondie I’m very excited by it. The accompanying posters that advertise ‘Dark Night Of the Soul’

as some kind of art house, Lynchian (Sorry for made up genre) thriller, also adds a wonderful element that makes this work not just a novelty purchase, but near essential.

Guest Vocals: