Obscure (but should not have been) album of the week...

DANGER MOUSE and SPARKLEHORSE present: DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL [2009]

This week I've taken some liberty with the concept of an obscure album. None of the artists that feature on The Dark Night of the Soul are obscure (far from it), and I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who is blogging about one of 2009's most anticipated releases. But here we have an album which is unlikely to see the light of day in physical form. If that isn't obscure, then I don't know what is....

Because this release is literally hot off the press, I will attempt to give an overview of what's on offer, rather than a detailed critical analysis. Basically, Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse have teamed up with David Lynch, a collaboration which can only be described as an artistic wet dream. Not only have they produced some music together, they will be releasing a multimedia package including a book filled with original photographs by Lynch, of which only 5000 will be printed. As for the album, it is symbolically packaged as a blank CD-R. Confused yet? Read on. Every song features a different guest vocalist and, my word, there are some big names on the list; Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) and James Mercer (The Shins) to name but a few. It would be a safe inference to draw that appetites in the indie community are whetted for this release. And the results?

Though responses have been divided so far (one of the more amusing comments I came across went something like: "This is awful...you'd have thought it was a Beatles record", and that's bad how?), it is without doubt a unique listen. Collaborative efforts like these can sometimes lack a cohesive whole, but with the cream of alternative cool at the helm, who's complaining? The production chops are impeccable and there are some real standouts, particularly the woozy, catchy-as-hell 'Everytime I'm With You', sung by Grandaddy mainman Jason Lytle. Sonically speaking, Dark Night of the Soul isn't too far removed from the last Sparklehorse album 'Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of A Mountain' (in which Danger Mouse also had some involvement).

I would be a fool to overlook the real selling point for everyone, however, and that is the fact that David Lynch actually sings on two of the songs. The vocals may carry a whiff of auto-tune, the lyrics might be nigh on incomprehensible but....it's David Lynch, what else do I need to say? The first, 'Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)', is the sound of Mercury Rev and Brian Wilson doing illicit substances together while riding on horses in slow motion. OK, a bit of aural exaggeration there but I'm doing my best. But the real pearl is the title track, the finale of the album, and would fit right at home in the visions of Betty Elms' relentless nightmare in 'Mulholland Drive' or the black lodge in 'Twin Peaks.' It's eerie, dark, other-worldly and bears the distinctively batshit-crazy stamp of Lynch's universe.

Because of an ongoing conflict with EMI, The Dark Night of the Soul may never see the light of day (hence the inclusion of the blank CD-R, the buyer choosing what to do with said item as they wish.) Either this is a genuine artists vs big corporation dispute or the best publicity stunt ever. Regardless of the actual situation, we are deprived of owning some great music. For those that aren’t modem-challenged, you can currently stream the album at this address:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104129585

Happy listening.

-AMCS

P.S - Special thanks to my friend Daniel for passing on the news of this release!