Sparklehorse

With his first record in five years, Sparklehorse one-man-band Mark Linkous offers plenty of beautifully gothic, soporific songs which, typical to past efforts, emerge through a haze of static production. He occasionally comes awake, with tunes like "Mountains" or "It's Not So Hard," but the record's strongest moments are found in Linkous' slumberous, hushed delivery. And if, track-by-track, Dreamt can't match the melodic ache of 2001's It's a Wonderful Life, the Danger Mouse-produced "Getting it Wrong" and lilt of "Some Sweet Day" are Linkous classics in their own right.