Sparklehorse is a rock music group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.Essentially, Linkous is Sparklehorse (in much the same way that Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails). Linkous records much of Sparklehorse's material in his home studio, and his vision (primarily "one of haunted beauty", wrote Kevin Caulfield [1]) guides Sparklehorse. Drummer and multi-instrumentalist Scott Minor is a frequent collaborator.Much of Sparklehorse's music has an introspective, melancholy feel, which Linkous credits to a chemical imbalance. His lyrics are full of odd imagery: Joe Tangari describes Linkous' songs as "defiantly surrealist ... with all manner of references to smiling babies, organ music, birds, and celestial bodies ... In fact, some of the lyrics are so surreal that it's hard to imagine they're even metaphors for anything."[2]Musically, Sparklehorse are not far removed from alt country, though there are as many differences as similarities between that genre and Sparklehorse: Linkous is fond of incorporating obsolete musical instruments or technologies (such as woozy mellotrons, scratchy, distorted wire recordings of his own voice, or cheap, tinny drum machines), in ways reminiscent of some of Tom Waits' music. Sparklehorse have offered a few full-throttle hard rock numbers, as well, such as "Some Day I Will Treat You Good" or "Happy Man".Sparklehorse are set to release their first album in five years, ‘Dreamt for Lightyears in the Belly of a Mountain’. The album follows the band’s much applauded last album 2001’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. As anyone who knows the joys of Sparklehorse, there’s mystery and magic here once again. We are given glimpses of sleeping old bears, hammering hooves, Ophelia in the creek and Christmas bulbs glowing in the night. Mark Linkous remains a man shrouded in enigma and the last five years have bought with it much adventure as well as turmoil.Dreamt for Lightyears was recorded by Linkous alone in his Static King Studios in North Carolina with an extensive array of contributors and collaborators on the album including – Dangermouse, Johnny Hott, Sophie Michalitsianos, Scott Minor, Stephen Drodz (Flaming Lips), David Fridmann and Christian Fennesz. The album also includes a previously unreleased track with Tom Waits on piano.
