REVIEW: Sparklehorse Good Morning Spider (Capitol) /
_Disorted Horse EP (Odeon)
- Christina Apeles
Less somber than 1995 debut release Vivadixiesmarinetransmissionplot, lauded by critics and peers though largely ignored by consumers, Good Morning Spider and Distorted House prove that Mark Linkous is one of the most talented songwriters of his generation. Linkous' appeal resides in a dimly-lit milieu filled with poetic lyricism, pensive tempos fraught with quandary and revelation. What some may term as dismal, the tone of these releases vary from relentless noise to stripped down ballads, with evocative verse ever present.
On Good Morning Spider, "Sick of Goodbyes" may be the radio-friendly track any label could hope for with its catchy chorus and rock for everyone feel, it is an inspiring, folk-influenced track that anyone can enjoy. Then there's the epic feel of "Chaos of The Galaxy/Happy Man" with one song proceeding into the next, that is lo-fi rock grandeur. Like most of the ballads on this release, Hey Joe is sparse in instrumentation, with acoustic guitar and piano backing the dreary vocals of "Linkous" expressing his brand of optimism: There's a happy man, there's a star for you, while "Ghost of His Smile" exhibits Linkous' Guided By Voices musical sensibility with true pop fervor. There's a raw element to each song, whether it be static, reverb, or cracking vocals, adding an engaging aspect to the album, sounding more in line with a live show than studio-produced release.
Meanwhile, Distorted House furnishes listeners with actual live tracks of the acoustic, wintry "Gasoline Horseys" and the energetic mood of "Happy Pig." An additional treat is Daniel Johnston's piano playing sampled for a guitar heavy cover of Johnston's "My Yoke is Heavy," recognizing one of Linkous' biggest influences. In both releases, vocals and instruments tend to move from rants to murmurs falling then into silence, shifting back into an earful of sonic distortion in signature Sparklehorse fashion, fitting nicely between records by Vic Chesnutt and recent Tom Waits; with Good Morning Spider also rewarding in your CD-rom drive, offering videos suited to the music: drab colors, out of focus shots, rarely static -- yet all of it dazzling.
