Mark Linkous nervously apologised to the audience as he began to play the same song he had already tried and failed to start like a old banger of a car four times. In the wondrous setting of Islington’s Union Chapel, he could have been forgiven for experiencing a moment of epiphany. Instead, though, to a crowd held captive by his delicately forceful set, he appeared to be having a breakdown.

Linkous possibly won’t remember this incident from a 2001 gig. This is a man who spent 14 hours with his legs trapped under him after passing out following a cocktail of alcohol, anti-depressants, Valium and heroin in 1996. Not that he’s probably got great recollection of that either.

Yet his crisis of confidence or whatever you want to call it says more about the man and than even the title of this fourth album by Sparklehorse. For all intents and purposes, Linkous is Sparklehorse. He’s also a performer whose huge talent seems to be balanced precariously on a table of glass, liable to shatter at any moment.

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain was recorded by Linkous in his Static King Studios in North Carolina along with collaborators new and old, the likes of Dangermouse, the Flaming Lips’ Stephen Drodz and noted producer David Fridmann. There are ghostly echoes of former albums, particularly the last two Good Morning Spider and It’s a Wonderful Life. And not just on the suitably haunting ‘Ghost In The Sky’.

Working with hip-hop’s Dangermouse, there’s talk of a joint album between them but apparently they can’t decided on whether the title of their union should be Dangerhorse or Sparklemouse, is a surprise. Having observed Linkous at close quarters, though, it’s fair to say there’s nothing predictable about the man. Apart from his capacity to make magical music, that is.
(5/5)