Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain | Teen Ink

Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain MAG

April 19, 2011
By Sarah Gantt BRONZE, Wilmington, Delaware
Sarah Gantt BRONZE, Wilmington, Delaware
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Sparklehorse's newest album, “Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain,” consists of 12 tracks running the gamut from bitter guitar solos to mellow pop songs. Ideally listened to on a rainy day, many of the songs are depressingly dark, yet most are strangely packaged with rhythms that make them comforting to listen to.
After releasing “It's a Wonderful Life” in 2001, Mark Linkous carefully constructed “Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain” for five years before its release. Linkous admitted that several of the tracks were pop tunes that ­didn't make it onto “It's a Wonderful Life.” Linkous turned to producer Danger Mouse to help him finish it.
Sparklehorse is bizarrely unique and can be described as dreamy pop or psychedelic rock. Linkous uses abrasive guitar melodies, woozy ­mellotrons, skewed wire recordings, and bargain drum machines. His voice is soothing though it's almost always distorted in some way to match the emotions in his songs. His voice can be lethargic and lulling, as on “Return to me,” and on “Don't Take My Sunshine Away” it's choppy and staticy to complement the ­sporadic guitar.
The album reflects Linkous's many years of depression. The lyrics are dark and depressing and merge with perplexing imagery to give all his songs a surrealistic feel. In “Morning Hollow” Linkous faintly sings of a woman who “don't run through the fields anymore.”
“Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain” is sadly Linkous's final album. In March 2010, he tragically took his life. He will always be remembered for his beautiful music and forever missed by his fans.


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This article has 1 comment.


on Aug. 24 2011 at 11:43 am
callie15 BRONZE, North Plains, Oregon
3 articles 21 photos 424 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?&quot;<br /> -Chuang Tzu<br /> <br /> &quot;No man with a good car needs to be justified!&quot;<br /> -Wise Blood

Great review :) I've just started to listen to him recently, and when I heard he commited suicide, I almost cried. His music is filled with so much emotion. It's sad to think that he touched so many people and helped them through their tough times, yet he couldn't stand the pain himself. Rest in peace Mark, rest in peace :)