Third album by Sparklehorse released in 2001. Mark Linkous is painting the same melancholic pictures but with with a few more colours on his easel, namely more guest vocalists and instruments. Dave Fridmann does a lot of the production. As before, surreal lyrics make an ear-catching appearance. How this album will measure up to Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot and Good Morning, Spider only time will tell.
Track listing
- It's a wonderful life
An optigan, orchestron and chamberlin feature here. Linkous alone plays all the instruments, produces and mixes.
- Gold Day
The mellotron, wurlizer piano,dictaphone and fey lyrics lend mean this track would sit comfortably on Led Zeppelin III. Nina Persson of The Cardigans provides backing vocals.
- Piano Fey
In the established Sparklehorse tradition, a slowburner is followed by a wake-up call. Polly Jean Harvey lends a hand (on piano) and a voice.
- Sea of Teeth
The drummer, Scott Minor, is credited here with playing a Russian satellite. Dave Fridmann tinkles away on piano.Can you feel the ring
of Saturn on your finger
- Apple Bed
Nina plays a more prominent role, pleading with a doctor for a remedy and the chance to smoke some bees. Horses are mentioned, an obsession Linkous shares with Will Oldham.
- King Of Nails
Sophie Michelitsianos sings along on this stomper.
- Eyepennies
Another PJ Harvey collaboration. John Pariah plays piano and Linkous strikes those high delicate notes that evokes Neil Young.
- Dog Door
Rollicking track featuring the peerless Tom Waits (voice, big seed pod, metal things and a train). A backward midget voice and a kitty cat guitar is used.
- more yellow birds
A standout track on the album. The violin emphasises the aching melancholia.
Is your jewellery still lost in the sand
out on the coast or rushed in to the brine
you left your rings on the shoreline
so you wouldn't lose them swimming in the shallows
- little fat baby
Inspired by the Vic Chesnutt song Myrtle
- Comfort me
The strings that play at the end of this song reminds one of a track on a previous Sparklehorse album.
- Babies on the sun
This track starts strangely but then a melody emerges. Baby voices (always slightly disturbing) feature.
- 'Hidden track'
About three minutes of silence elapse and then this beautiful diamond is unearthed. It's worth waiting for and it maybe one of the best tracks on the album. Its a duet worthy of Gram and Emmylou and will bring a tear to any eye.
In the silver morning hollow,
trembling and getting old
smelling the
oil of heaven
'bout ten years too big to hold
She don't get up
When I come
into the room
She don't walk through the fields
anymore