Sparklehorse
Good Morning Spider
[Capitol]
Rating: 7.2
I never thought I'd say this about any band with the slightest modicum of
talent, but someone at Capitol oughta hire a real producer for
Sparklehorse. Primary member Mark Linkous has shown that he can write
catchy, American Gothic- tinged pop songs in the vein of Cracker or the
Gin Blossoms (but more nicely twisted), and with major- label backing,
you'd think he would have a great chance at commercial success. But
Linkous insists on lo-fi self- production that seems to purposely cripple
his more radio- friendly melodies. Consider Good Morning Spider's
"Happy Man," which spends its first two minutes thrashing about in waves
of static, eventually drowning completely during the second verse; only
after it fades up into its fully produced glory halfway through does the
song's monstrous hook finally connect. It's the kind of self- defeating
move that music critics love, but that's not the only reason that
Sparklehorse has garnered such widespread critical acclaim.
Good Morning Spider follows the Sebadoh- crossed- with- Palace-
Brothers blueprint of its 1996 predecessor
vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, with a few minor improvements:
you've got your whisper- soft tunes ("Painbirds," "All Night Home")
rubbing up against angry fuzzbombs ("Cruel Sun") and the occasional made-
for- radio hit thrown in ("Sick of Goodbyes"). At first, the fragmentary
melodies and seemingly half- finished songs are vaguely frustrating, but
after several listens they start coalescing into... well, an actual
album. You know, not your usual single- plus- filler kind of album,
but one where the songs contribute to the overall feel. And tying it all
together is Linkous' voice, an odd papery falsetto that falls somewhere
between Lou Barlow and Elliott Smith; it sounds right at home rasping its
way through Sparklehorse's cover of Daniel Johnston's "Hey, Joe," but gets
downright creepy when twisted into the banshee wail that rips through
"Pig."
So Sparklehorse should be commended for having something few bands ever
even try for, namely, a cohesive musical vision. However, it's a vision
that still hasn't been fully realized. Good Morning Spider's
cracked- lenses view of a decaying heartland still rambles and feels a
bit thin in places. They're a far sight from becoming the American
Radiohead, but this record shows that they're on the right track.
-Nick Mirov