All Delighted People EP

"You little boy, you little boy..."

Boom, boom, boom with these reviews, eh?  I'm pretty excited about it, I have to say.  I got another two albums today, so at this rate I should have at most about four reviews a week from the radio station.  Let's just hope I can find enough time to review all of them.  I've been listening to another album outside of what KVCU has given me, so I'm going to try and squeeze that in somewhere as well.  The album I'm about to review, however, is something I got really excited about once I got my hands on it: "All Delighted People EP" ("ADP") by Sufjan Stevens.  

Now, I never really got into Sufjan Stevens, but I do have his highly acclaimed "Illinoise" (2005) album.  That being said, I'm familiar with his style and the orchestral magnitude he can have at times, something that also rubbed me the right way.  "ADP" is no different from the feeling I got from "Illinoise;" it may be significantly shorter in terms of its track list, but Stevens has finally given his listeners what they've wanted.  Not since 2005 has Stevens released a song-based full length album.  In 2006, Stevens released "The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinoise Album" which, as can be discerned from the title, was just a bunch of extras that weren't on "Illinoise."  In 2007, he released "Songs for Christmas" which was a compilation of Christmas songs Stevens had written from 2001-2006; a new album, but not really, you know?  Christmas albums don't count.  In 2009, he released "The BQE" which was just recordings of his live shows, so, still, nothing new.  Finally, come 2010, Stevens is releasing not only "ADP," but is also releasing "The Age of Adz" on October 12th of this year, which will be an LP.

While "ADP" isn't officially his first full length song-based album in five years, it shouldn't be over looked by listeners.  Stevens focuses the album around two different compositions of the song "All Delighted People," one that is heavily orchestral and one that is a classical rock version.  Each song, while exactly the same lyrically, has a vastly different feel from the other.  The orchestral version has an epic grandiosity to it when the strings section backs up Stevens' vocals; the classical rock version, with the help of horns, drums, and a guitar backing up Stevens, on the other hand feels a bit more down to earth. 

Outside of those two complimentary songs, the overall feeling of the album is wrought with emotion, especially in "The Owl And The Tanager," which is my personal favorite on the album.  What's interesting about this song is that it's a reworked version of "Barn Owl, Night Killer," a song Stevens typically only plays at concerts.  Stevens' vocals have a sort of weightlessness to them as he sings about death and hardship on top of a steady guitar line.  The trickling of the piano elevates the weightlessness of Stevens' vocals and heighten the idea of despair in the song.

Overall, Sufjan Stevens really delivers with "ADP" and listeners can only expect more great stuff upon the arrival of "The Age of Adz."  By finally giving his fans what they've been waiting for for over five years, Stevens clearly has a recipe for success with "ADP" already skyrocketing up to #27 on Billboard's charts and already getting relatively good reviews across various sites.  While it isn't a full LP, if "The Age of Adz" is made up of the same sort of stuff that "All Delighted People EP" is, there's no reason listeners should fret.  Let's just hope it's not another five years of creative crisis before his next release.  Take a listen here.

Major Organ & The Adding Machine

"Your Moonpie Eye!"

Alright, I finally got my hands on some more albums and I'm assuming I'm going to have more coming to me more regularly.  I have a cubby set up for me at the radio station and got two new albums this week.  Woot!  The first album I decided to take a listen to was "Major Organ & The Adding Machine" by Major Organ And The Adding Machine.  While this isn't typically my cup of tea, the people who supposedly have had a hand in it are people whose music I have enjoyed and so I decided to tough it out.  "MO&TAM" is undoubtedly inspired by drugs; I don't care what anyone says, there's no way hallucinogens didn't play a role in the creation of this album.  The first thing the cacophony of noise brought to mind for me was The Beatles' "Revolution 9" off "The White Album."  Several of the songs consist of a tumultuous whirlwind of chanting, clanging, sirens, musical instruments, and buzzing.  Oh, there's some singing in there too.  While I found most of it hard to listen to, (much like I find the nearly eight and a half minutes of "Revolution 9" hard to listen to), it did have its bright spots that were masterfully arranged.  Maybe it was the pleasant change from chaos to peacefulness, but certain tracks sounded like some of the best compositions I had ever heard.

The stand out song for me on the album has to be "Dance On The Telephone Poles" which slows down the pace of the album and manages to create a very harmonic melody, something that is incredibly refreshing; however, being the twenty third track on the album, its appearance seems to come a little late.  While contributors to the album have managed to remain anonymous for the most part, certain artists have been identified, such as Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal whose influence is without question on this track.  Other prominent indie artists such as Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel and Will Cullen Hart of Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System also have been identified throughout the album.  Jeff Mangum's standout vocals are noticeable throughout the album on tracks such as "Moonpie Eye Sensation," "Life Form (Transmission Received)," and "Madam Truffle."

The album was originally released on June 19th, 2001, however, Major Organ And The Adding Machine have decided to make an independent, self-titled movie due to release on September 14th, 2010.  "MO&TAM" is to be used as the OST for the movie with seven brand new tracks tacked onto it.  The film's trailer, without question, seems to only further the hallucinogenic influence in the making of the album.  Other influences can also be seen in the trailer such as several British influences ranging from Monty Python, The Beatles films, and old British satires involving a police man and a gorilla chasing one another.  

As a whole, the album is... interesting.  Based on what I've seen from the trailer for the movie, "Major Organ & The Adding Machine" will more than run parallel to the direction the movie will take the viewer.  While some tracks may be hard to listen to, there are also glimmering tracks that all listeners can really value.  However, some of them are incredibly short (such as "Swimming, Laughing, Playing" which creates a dark, calming atmosphere, yet only lasts a mere forty-nine seconds) leaving hardly any time for listeners to appreciate the well thought out composition and melody.  The rapid change of atmosphere and timbre may confuse some listeners, but others may appreciate it.  At some points "Major Organ" can be incredibly relaxing and of the utmost enjoyment; at other times, it can be one nasty trip.  Take a listen here.

Personal Life

I'm back!  I know its been a while since my last review, but worry not my few readers!  I've been busy settling into my new, awesome apartment, figuring out my classes, and, most importantly, I've started volunteering for the student run radio station here at CU: KVCU 1190.  This, my friends, is incredibly good news because 1) I have a whole slew of brand new, independent music at my finger tips 2) I may be able to start writing long reviews for KVCU and may get some more people trekking through my blog and checking it out and 3) I'm going to be listening to and writing reviews for a significant amount more music.  With that being said, I got my first CD to review a couple of days ago and I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised.

"There's nothing we can do if I don't believe you..."

When I got The Thermals' album "Personal Life," I was a little skeptical.  The person that gave it to me at KVCU said it was one of her favorites and the review that came with it was spotless.  Now, its not that I didn't trust these sources, but I definitely didn't want to be let down.  Suffice to say, I should have believed them because The Thermals definitely made me a fan with their fifth LP.  Immediately from starting the album I was surprised.  The album definitely has a strong sound, in part due to Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla who helped produce the album.  The sound is more than enjoyable for casual listeners, but will also be enjoyable for audiophiles seeing as how a majority of the album was recorded live to tape, the album was mixed to tape, and the vinyl was mastered straight from the tape.  Furthermore, The Thermals definitely have a more successful punk, pop, almost garage sound, something that hasn't drawn me in for a long time.  

The Thermals typically tackle ideas of love in their albums here and there, but "Personal Life" in its entirety is devoted to the concept of love as can easily be seen in the track list with songs like "I'm Gonna Change Your Life" and "Your Love Is So Strong."  However, what is nice about The Thermals is that, while they have sort of a grainy,  fixed punk sound, they manage to twist and turn it so that each song has a different feel.  My favorite song on the album, "I Don't Believe You," has a string of bouncy guitar chords strewn throughout with soft percussion occasionally coming in strong to fill the vocal silence.  While the song is simple lyrically, it is incredibly catchy and will definitely strike that foot tappin', head bangin' nerve in your spine.  

Complimenting the first song, "I'm Gonna Change Your Life," is the track "You Changed My Life" at the tail end of the album.  The slow steady bass line and almost apologetic vocals of Hutch Harris really show how The Thermals' sound can morph and make you feel something entirely different.  Instead of head bangin', you're definitely going to want to sway back and forth to this track.  The lyrics in this song are a bit more complicated than in "I Don't Believe You" and provide an interesting juxtaposition of feelings with those expressed in "I'm Gonna Change Your Life."

While the album is pretty short (only ten songs, barely an LP), and some of the tracks don't seem to carry the same weight some their stronger songs do, The Thermals manage to convey a wealth of emotion and sound within the short track list.  From the uptempo guitar licks of "I Don't Believe You" to the more mild mannered, empathetic tone of "You Changed My Life," The Thermals carry the listener across the pains, warmth, struggles, and treasures of love.  I would definitely recommend picking up The Thermals' "Personal Life" when it comes out on September 7th and enjoy a sound that is seldom seen in the popular music light.

The Odd Couple

"Got some bad news this morning/  Which in turn made my day"

Much like the Arctic Monkeys, I've been on a bit of a Gnarls Barkley binge as of lately.  For some reason, I just can't stop listening to them.  This is good because it gives me something to write about.  Now, while Gnarls Barkley's first album, "St. Elsewhere" (2006), received higher reviews than "The Odd Couple" (2008), I find myself enjoying the latter more.  Some may disagree, but I'll give you a few reasons why I like it so much.

First off, I want to start by saying that I do enjoy "St. Elsewhere;"  in fact, I enjoy it a lot.  However, something that makes "The Odd Couple" so great is that it has a much more seamless and encompassing mood throughout the album.  "St. Elsewhere" tends to be a bit all over the place and "The Odd Couple" flows much more smoothly from song to song.  I will agree that in terms of individual songs, "St. Elsewhere" is stronger: songs like "Crazy," "St. Elsewhere," and "The Boogie Monster" really show Barkley's creativity and versatility.  However, "The Odd Couple" definitely has the same juice.  More upbeat songs like "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" hearken back to "Go-Go Gadget Gospel," while "Would Be Killer" reminds listeners of "The Boogie Monster," solely because of its creepy factor.  

While Gnarls Barkley was praised for their experimentation in their first album, their second album is a bit more tame and down to earth.  Some might see this as a set back, I see it as a positive, only saying that the duo has found a bit of direction.  However, don't take that to mean there isn't any diversity within the album; "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" definitely strays from the common sound of "The Odd Couple."  Gnarls Barkley also manages to pull their funk roots back into "The Odd Couple" with "Neighbors" and "A Little Better."

Cee-lo's lyrics are inspired as ever, especially in "A Little Better" (Also, check out this cool video of "A Little Better" for MTV) which consists of rhyming triplets and really rounds the album out on a pleasant, ambient note.  While Cee-lo's range isn't as drastic as on "St. Elsewhere," he is much smoother and consistent, adding to the sound that branches through "The Odd Couple."  Dangermouse's beats are just as creative, some of the most impressive coming from the song "Charity Case," where he not only plays with the synthesizer and a running base line, but also manipulates Cee-lo's vocals in an impressively melodic way using several layered samples, as well as complimenting his voice with an almost omnipresent female vocalist.  Both Cee-Lo and Dangermouse successfully combine to take the smooth, yet some times heavy atmosphere from start to finish of "The Odd Couple."  

While there aren't as many stand out favorites as in "St. Elsewhere" and experimentation both vocally and instrumentally isn't as strong, "The Odd Couple" is a worthy successor to Gnarls Barkley's critically acclaimed debut album.  Cee-lo carries a passion and emotion in his vocals that is seldom seen in the music world and Dangermouse never ceases to amaze with his creativity and inspiration.  "The Odd Couple" successfully shows that Gnarls Barkley cannot only produce one great album, but two, and hopefully several more to come.  Take a listen here.  Also, I'd be lying if I didn't half write this review to put this picture of me and Cee-lo up:

"The Odd Couple": 84/100

Humbug

Seeing as how I haven't been able to find any new music that I've really wanted to review as of lately (outside of "Suburbs," but I still have to give that a solid listen), I've been rummaging through some albums over the past couple of years that I really enjoyed.  I managed to stumble across Arctic Monkeys album "Humbug," which was released in August of last year.  On another note, I've noticed that my reviews have gotten a bit wordy, so I'm going to try and keep this review around 700 words, excluding this intro paragraph.  Alright, here we go:

"Puff your chest out like you never lost a war"

With the release of "Humbug," listeners that enjoyed Arctic Monkeys' album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (2006) will certainly feel like they're listening to a completely different band.  As one can guess from the album's title, the Arctic Monkeys decided to go in a much darker direction compared to their previous album.  Some people I've talked to think this was a bad move, but personally, I think it was a successful experiment, if nothing else.  

While the album doesn't contain anything funky or necessarily fun like "Dancing Shoes" or "Fake Tales of San Francisco," songs of the sort wouldn't fit into what "Humbug" is overall.  As a total album, "Humbug" seems to have a much more pointed direction than any of Arctic Monkeys' other albums.  The album seems to be driving at a much deeper, darker feeling both instrumentally and lyrically.  Songs like "Crying Lightning," "Dangerous Animals," and "The Jeweller's Hands" rely on heavy bass lines and slow, steady lyrics to convey a somber, yet almost angry and bitter mood, something that isn't common to Arctic Monkeys.

However, while the album does have a much gloomier overall mood, softer songs are present as well, such as "Secret Door" and "Cornerstone," both of which give a pleasant break about a third and two thirds through from the heavier songs that make up a majority of the album.  These also help frequent listeners of Arctic Monkeys to recall songs such as "Mardy Bum" and "Riot Van" (my personal favorite Arctic Monkeys' song) from their album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not."  

While some have said that "Humbug" is the weakest of Arctic Monkeys releases ("Humbug" received a 75 whereas "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" and "Favourite Worst Nightmares" both received an 82), I think it only strengthens their musical repertoire and is a step in the right direction towards finding what sound suits them best.  While more upbeat songs as well as slower works garnered fame for Arctic Monkeys in the past, the bleaker, more morose sound of "Humbug" only adds to the unique sound they have managed to build up over the years.  Alex Turner, the band's vocalist, manages to still keep the creativity of his lyrics fresh and interesting (especially in "Pretty Visitors" and "Crying Lightning"), something that would seem difficult with such a drastic shift in mood of the band's encompassing sound on "Humbug."  However, the album very well could have been influenced by some sinister and/or somber lyrics Turner had come up with.  Regardless, the sound is successful.

If anything, the direction Arctic Monkeys chose to go with on "Humbug" doesn't hinder them, but rather should lead listeners to speculate where the band will go next.  The album overall isn't necessarily superior to either of its predecessors, but it certainly is different.  It is well understood that listeners may have a hard time adjusting to Arctic Monkeys' new sound, but if anything, they should be intrigued that such a different mood can be represented so well by a band not known for its morbidness.  Arctic Monkeys has unearthed a new side of themselves and have managed to triumphantly mold their talent into a completely different voice.  In the future, fans can only hope to hear a culmination of all of the great sounds Arctic Monkeys have found success with over the years.  Take a listen to "Humbug" here.

"Humbug": 86/100

(583 Words, boo-yah)

Music Discovery #2

"I thought Eminem killed all the boy bands off"

Alright, so, after having made it through Disco64's "The First Estate" I've had a little difficulty getting a hold of a new album that I really want to review.  I've tried to go back and listen to some older albums such as T.I.'s "Paper Trail" and Porcupine Tree's "Fear of a Blank Planet," both of which are great albums, but they're not really anything I want to talk about.  Plus, I do like to try to keep my reviews fairly fresh, so I'd like to do something more up to date.  With that being said, I think its time I do my second issue of "Music Discovery."

As with the last entry, I'll start with bad music.  If you remember from my last post, I mentioned having found an Korean boy band (at least that's what I thought at the time) thanks to a friend of mine on Facebook.  This artist goes by Taeyang and evidently started out as a hip-hop artist.  Now, seeing as how I don't speak any sort of foreign language very well, let along an oriental one, I can't really comment on his flow or his rhyming because I have no idea what he's saying.  However, there are some things he says in English, and these things I can analyze.  The song I chose from Taeyang is called "Where U At," which consists mainly of him singing in what I assume is Korean and saying in English "Where U At" come the chorus.  Now, its not his talent that I think is bad; he has a fairly good voice and a decent range.  However, what I do think is bad is that I feel like he should have exhisted in the boy band era.  He looks and acts very similarly to a contemporary N'Sync or Backstreet Boys, except without the boy band part because evidently he flies solo.  I don't know if this is where his country's pop culture is at or if he's just behind in the times compared to America's time line, but either way, he gets the same sort of disgust I showed N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys when they existed.  Taeyang is way over the top: he's decked out in a flat rimmed hat cocked to the side, all sorts of bling, and designer clothes.  However, that's not the worst part about it.  While rocking this soft boy band persona, around 1:50 into the music video we see him for how he really is: a bad ass wearing all leather, leaning up against his motorcycle, tossing up a delicious red fruit and/or ball; Oh, and what's under the hat?  A mohawk.  Yeah, that just happened.  This seemingly contradictory persona really makes me cringe.  One second he's the soft, sensitive guy: singing, dancing, and picking flowers;  the next minute he's decked out in leather with a mohawk making sure he gets his four daily servings of fruit.  Now, this double persona doesn't just happen in this video, but it seems to happen in all of them.  There might be two entirely different people, but I'm pretty sure there aren't seeing as how Taeyang is one person and there aren't any featuring artists.  As far as I'm concerned, he's the perfect contradiction of sweet and fluffy, bad ass and healthy, I mean... leather?

Now, more importantly, let's talk about the good music I stumbled upon: Jesca Hoop.  Now, while her name only makes me think of Brian Regan ("Hi, Jes...sica?" "Its Jesca, Bryan.  Jes-CA"), she seems to have a fair amount of talent musically.  Her most recent album release, "Hunting My Dress," received an average Metacritic score of 78 and is one of the highest rated albums for the month of July, 2010.  Unfortunately, I'm not really sure I would enjoy her whole album, so I won't be getting it, but one song in particular of hers really blew me away.  I took a listen to her song "The Kingdom" just to see what she was like.  She seems like your typical girl who has a pretty good, somewhat unique voice and can play the guitar.  As I was about to close out of the YouTube video, I couldn't help but notice the song had taken a bit of a turn; just before I clicked the "X" the song picked up, transitioning from soft singing and gentle guitar plucking to some sliding guitar licks and heavy, almost tribe like drumming.  This, to say the least, peaked my interest in the song.  Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but she seems to have some creativity lyrically that really creates an interesting picture.  On top of that, the music video is really intense, transitioning back and forth between several different characters, each of which Hoop plays.  This video is something you really have to take a look at for yourself to experience.  It has a sort of fervor and really possesses a different feel, more so than any other solo female vocalist I've listened to in her genre, save for Regina Spektor's early work.  If you like her, definitely give her album a listen,  its gotten pretty positive reviews.  I may reconsider listening to her, but we'll see.

As far as up and coming releases, there aren't a whole lot of things I'm looking forward to, which is unfortunate seeing as how I'm currently in a music drought.  However, some things are coming up that have some potential.  Arcade Fire is expecting to release their new album, "The Suburbs," some time next week and Gov't Mule is releasing a live album, "Mulennium," as well;  T.I. is also releasing a new album, "King Uncaged," on the week of August 15th.  The one thing that I am really anticipating is N.E.R.D.'s release of "Nothing," which will happen some time during the week of September 5th (check out their single, "Hot N' Fun"), as well as Eels new album "Tomorrow Morning," which is being released some time during the week of August 22nd.  So, now that I've told you, what sort of music have you stumbled upon?  Also, if you have a music suggestion for me, please toss it out there.  At this point, I'm definitely up for suggestions.

Dark Night of the Soul

"I have all the means of bringing you fuckers down"

While I haven't ever listened to anything from Sparklehorse, I have been familiarized with Danger Mouse through Gnarls Barkley and his "The Grey Album" (2004), as well as his appearances with artists such as Gorillaz and The Black Keys.  With that being said, I had been anticipating the release of Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's album "Dark Night of the Soul" since I heard about it earlier this year.  Such as music is, however, label disputes plagued the release of the album, and while it was supposed to be released earlier, it was delayed until July 12th of 2010.  However, the album has been available streaming online for quite some time and memorabilia, such as posters and a book of original photographs, have been available since May of this year.  Included with these sets was a blank CD-R that Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse tossed in and, as far as I can tell, were used to speak out against the label dispute and encourage their listeners to burn their album onto the disc.  

"Dark Night of the Soul" contains tracks produced by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, as well as assistance vocally as well as in production by several other artists.  Upon my first listen of the album, it was hard to get a feel for it, what with so many different vocal styles and various moods strewn throughout the album, however, after a few listens, I haven't been able to stop.  The list of vocalists include James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casblancas of The Strokes, Frank Black (aka Black Francis) of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel.  While I don't know all of the vocalists and, furthermore, am not a fan of all of the ones I do know, each and everyone of them meld together to make an incredibly well thought out and successful album.  All the lyrics are incredibly inspired save for a few songs and every song, while some sound incredibly similar, present a different mood and a different perspective on the album as well as life. 

"Revenge," featuring The Flaming Lips, obviously kicks the album off with a very mellow, relaxed song, yet a dark message, saying "In my mind/ I have shot you and stabbed you through your heart/ I just didn't understand/ The ricochet is the second part/... And the more I try to hurt you/ The more that it hurts me."  Commenting on the idea of revenge and how it has just as much negative effect on the giver as it does the receiver, The Flaming lips manage to create a powerful message of anger through a song which sounds almost peaceful as Wayne Coyne says "Though I have all the means of bringing you fuckers down/ I can't make myself," creating a wonderful melodic contradiction.  Other songs convey a similar sort of contradiction, such as "Jaykub," featuring Jason Lytle from Grandaddy, which tells the story of a man, Jaykub, basking in glory on a podium in front of a crowd of people, only to wake up as "the alarm goes of and you're a sad man in a song."  Lytle's soft vocals manage to create a dreamlike atmosphere as he approaches the depressing turn of waking up from a pleasant dream into a less than pleasant life, something many of us can relate to.

The album also includes tracks which are bit more up beat and rock inspired such as "Little Girl" and "Angel's Harp."  "Little Girl" is by far one of my favorite tracks on the album, in particular because I seem to become a bigger fan of Julian Casablancas' vocals every time I listen to The Strokes.  "Little Girl" is seemingly one of the most creative songs lyrically, speaking on love, life, laughter, and pain.  Casablancas makes comments on people in society ("A trick that people use to make you think they are smart/ Is confidence when actually they're lost in the dark"), himself ("Because I'm ignorant as shit, not here to preach, man/ You know I just wanna have fun, go to the beach man/ That's all I am, I'm just a simple guy who talks when/ You put a microphone in front of him"), as well as money ("The wolds always amazed at how much cash you made/ But not at how you made it, it's just strange") all within four minutes.  

"Angel's Harp" has an edgier feel to it like "Little Girl," but takes it to an entirely different level.  Black Fracis' vocals are rough and raspy, shouting "Pluckin' all day on my angel's harp", which definitely create a different feel on the album, however, coupled with the heavy rock instrumentals, the song seems out of place among the rest of the album.  Nevertheless, "Angel's Harp" isn't alone in this case, and "Pain" featuring Iggy Pop seems out of place as well, another song that has rough vocals as well as a strong rock influence, only furthered by Pop chanting "Pain, pain, pain/ Bad brains must always feel pain."  Furthermore, "Pain"'s lyrics are limited as well as seemingly less inspired than the rest of the album, with lines such as "Good karma will not get you anywhere/ Look at Jesus and his hair" and "Justice, religion, and success are fake/ And the shiny people stink."  These lines, while they may seem profound, are poorly rhymed and don't contain little substance, if any at all.  However, one line saves the song: "Pretty creepy, pretty funny/ I'm a mix of God and monkey," something that I think is both clever and hilarious.

At the end of the album are two songs, both of which are my other two favorites off of the album next to "Little Girl."  "Grim Augury" features Vic Chesnutt and conveys an incredibly dark and disturbing mood not only through the somber instrumentals, but even more so through Chesnutt's shaky vocals.  As he sings "I was making noises in my sleep/ But you wouldn't believe me when I told ya/ That I wasn't with someone in my dream/ Catfish were wriggling in blood and gore in the kitchen sink" the sense of fear and disgust in his voice is almost palpable.  "Dark Night of the Soul" features David Lynch, a celebrated film director, who also took all of the original photos found in the limited edition book released with this album.  The instrumentals of the song are slow and steady, hearkening back to an old blues piano style, masked by a static like noise.  Lynch's vocals are echoed and scratchy as well, creating an almost ghost like feel as he sings "Distant bell ring/ But steps echo/ No one on these streets/ Callin' out your name/ Where are you baby/ It's a dream world/ Dark dream world/ Dark night of the soul."  And so finishes the album, an incredibly fitting end to a wonderful journey.

"Dark Night of the Soul" by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse contains a wealth of different musical moods, but has an immense amount of emotion and passion on top of that.  While some songs like "Angel's Harp" and "Pain" seem out of place, they can only help the album by creating a contrast with the more upbeat and happy songs like "The Man Who Played God" and "Insane Lullaby."  There's more on this album than I have time to talk about.  Several other songs are incredible and are worth taking the time to listen to.  "Dark Night of the Soul" conveys several human emotions in an incredibly diverse, yet structured way.  Although the variety vocally on this album is vast, each and every song comes together successfully to create an incredible album that every music listener will not only appreciate, but enjoy.

*Note: I'm fairly certain that the black and white pictures are samples from the book.  Each one contains David Lynch (man with the white hair), Sparklehorse (horse head), and Danger Mouse.*

"Dark Night of the Soul": 93/100

Take a listen here.