Don't go looking for this in stores, kids. It's not legal yet due to a dispute between Brian Burton and record company EMI, so instead Burton & co. have been selling the 100+ page photography narrative done by David Lynch as well as a CD case with a blank CD--subtly encouraging legally questionable downloading of the album.
And what an album it is. I hope they work the deal out because I can't remember the last time I so fell in love with an album. Danger Mouse of Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley fame has teamed up with lesser-known electro-rocker Sparklehorse and multiple musical powerhouses to create an absolute gem of an album.
We start with "Revenge" featuring The Flaming Lips, and if you've heard anything by the Flaming Lips the bell in the opener of this song gives them away in a second. The song is dark and moody but also laid-back. It's absolutely gorgeous, floating along on a psychadelic wave, building up to smooth and painful choruses and then cresting gently down. "Just War" features Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, with whose work I'm unfamililar. While electronic elements are certainly present, there's a little country thrown in with the rock. Much of the album overall is tough to classify, something I consider to be a true triumph. This is a song which grows on you because of the hook, especially the hard-hitting keyboard; it continues the mellow tone of the album as a whole. "Jaykub" is an odd little animal. It features Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and sports a distinctly folksy sound over the experimental noises in the background.
The cool and collected tone of the album continues with the next track, one of the crowning jewels of the album entitled "Little Girl" and featuring Julian Casablancas of the Strokes. While Casablancas' influence is certainly present, the subject matter is much darker and more sohpisticated than the Strokes' usual fare, which only serves to illustrate the power of the collaboration. I don't know what else to say except that it couldn't really be a more perfect song.
The mellow atmosphere of the album breaks when we get to Black Francis' guest vocals on "Angel's Harp." Again, though, the album seems to have toned things down as the song doesn't really have the same rawness of Pixies songs, nor are Francis' vocals particularly screechy. It's a weird song and will probably please fans but not necessarily the unconverted. In fact, I'd say this song and the next track, "Pain" featuring Iggy Pop, are album weak points. Since it's hard rock and not tightly crafted pop or purist punk, it's a lot tougher to get away with repetitiveness.
David Lynch (who is normally an avant-garde director) holds his own vocally as Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse return to psychedelic meandering dream pop with "Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)." Jason Lytle returns to sing in the eerie, haunting, regretful "Every Time I'm With You," which is completely different from his earlier appearance on the album. The driving force of the song is a sort of muffled distorted circus tune in the background layered behind a quiet piano and other synth effects. "Insane Lullaby" has an even stranger array of synth, electronic, and occasional orchestral noises. However it features one of my personal favorite guests, James Mercer of The Shins. Unfortunately, no matter how strangely compelling the song is, I'm not sure the music complements his voice quite.
The album goes out of experimental mode and back into a some country swing with Nina Persson of The Cardigan's vocals unobtrusively crooning in the background. "Daddy's Gone" is a sweet, relaxed tune, but not a particularly strong one for the album. "Daddy's Gone" is followed by another of the album's subtly power-packed highlights, "The Man Who Played God." Suzanne Vega sings beautifully for this mellow treat, supported by pretty acoustic guitars. In "Grim Augury" the off-kilter, mournful circus/showtune returns in the background; the vocals are by Vic Chesnutt, another solo artist whose work I'm unfamiliar with. The lyrics are sad and blues-like, and the modernized blues continue in the final track, "Dark Night of the Soul," which sounds like something one of my favorite artists might concoct. The album ends on a lingering, eerie, and distinctly electronic combined with blues/soul note.
This album is short, sweet, low-key, and magnificent.
-elln
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