Continuing a career haunted by chemical imbalance and near-death experiences, Mark Linkous’ Sparklehorse resurfaces with Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain. Like 2001’s It‘s A Wonderful Life, this record is filled with top-shelf contributions from Christian Fennesz, Danger Mouse, Tom Waits, and the Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd. Despite the big names, however, the collaborators highlight Linkous’ penchant for somber masterpieces rather than advertise their own identities. Recorded on a remote North Carolina mountaintop with a vintage recording rig built by the legendary Daniel Flickinger, the record’s pristine production enriches the nuances of Linkous’ broken pop songs. From the summery glisten of “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” to the mournful arrangement of the self-titled closer, Dreamt For Light Years is arguably Sparklehorse’s finest moment yet.