Word: linkous
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...safely behind him, he assures reporters—are no secret. But, as with many tortured souls who have sacrificed their bodies for their craft, past tragedies seem to motivate present poetry. Since Sparklehorse’s bizarrely-titled 1995 debut “Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot,” Linkous has experimented with different means of inner exorcism: each resultant work more cohesive than the last. While all of his songs evoke eerie dreamscapes—horizons of teeth, pianos on fire, dying horses—Linkous’ two most recent albums seem more self-aware. Because of his lyrical...
...spectrum, loud or quiet, there is a sense of familiarity with Ward, and it is a comfort that transcends the stories and sounds of his songs. It’s not so much the plaintive fragility of those with whom he is often compares (Beam of Iron & Wine, Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse), so much as a vulnerability we all share, channeled through stories with which we can all relate...
...center of it all was Linkous' commanding presence. Tall and dark, vaguely menacing, he has a voice that sounds incongruosly sweet and vulnerable as he whispers childlike rhymes, and becomes outwardly chilling and disquieting when he shouts them into the microphone. As he warmed to the crowd, Linkous occasionally cracked a smile--or did until the talking became disruptive during the quieter songs. The buzz continued unabated as he stood, eyes closed, crooning the poignant lyrics. After that, he growled without looking up: "You can talk as much as you want during this one--it doesn't even fucking matter...
...Linkous has a history of depression which severe medical problems have exacerbated. In 1996, the singer overdosed on Valium and antidepressants, and collapsed on a bathroom floor in London. When he was found, his legs had been pinned under him for 14 hours, cutting off circulation completely. An initial attempt to straighten them triggered a cardiac arrest, and Linkous was declared clinically dead for two minutes. Although he was revived and numerous operations to save his legs were ultimately successful, recovery has been slow and painful. He was confined to a wheelchair for six months and still wears leg braces...
...People should have listened on Friday not out of pity for Linkous's painful past however, but because of the talent they were fortunate to hear. His harsh personal experiences come across in the quiet desperation in his songs, but he does not whine. Instead, he crafts silvery plaintive ballads and shouts distortedly through loud, always oddly melodious numbers. Linkous does not aim to please. Like most uncompromising music, his is not instantly accesible, and Sparklehorse songs gain much from the attentive listening that many at the Middle East did not attempt. During "Junebug," a hushed, plaintive encore...