Funny how the web-based news cycle works. I'd heard months ago that Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse planned to collaborate on an album. Then, just a few days ago, word of that project was everywhere. Credit a controversy of the sort that sets blogs, Twitter feeds and message boards afire: A major record label was somehow blocking release of a shadowy project featuring the work of some enigmatic, critically adored artists. Whether it's a brilliant marketing ploy or a true case of corporate stupidity, it put the resulting album on the radar of anyone with even a faint interest in non-mainstream music.

That album, Dark Night of the Soul, is a collaboration between Danger Mouse (the producer behind the Jay-Z/Beatles mashup The Grey Album) and Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous). The two created music and then recruited 10 singers to record vocals. They include the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, Jason Lytle from Grandaddy; Nina Persson from the Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, the Strokes' Julian Casablancas and Iggy Pop. They also somehow hooked up with filmmaker David Lynch, whose photographs make up a 100-page book to be released with the disc. He also provided vocals to two tracks. The result is a cohesive yet varied collection of tracks that sounds pretty much like what you'd expect from all involved. It's also quite good.

Details about the project, along with streams of the music on NPR.org, debuted simultaneously with word that it might not ever see release. According to the project's web site, "Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to release the recorded music for Dark Night of the Soul without fear of being sued by EMI. Danger Mouse remains hugely proud of Dark Night of the Soul and hopes that people lucky enough to hear the music, by whatever means, are as excited by it as he is."

Further compounding confusion, the set is still for sale, but the book now includes a blank CD-R. One assumes that Danger Mouse, whose The Grey Album project was (and is) widely available on the web, wants fans to seek out downloads and torrents of the project to burn on the included disc. Those purchasing the $50 package are warned, "Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to include music on the CD without fear of legal entanglement. Therefore, he has included a blank CD-R as an artifact to use however you see fit."

Lynch fans will surely seek this out; the rest of us can probably save about $49.95, pick up a blank disc at Staples and have this downloaded and burned before lunch today. It's certainly worth that effort. It's a strong album full of lush, glitchy music and hazy vocals that push these singers in somewhat surprising directions. Each track feels like a slightly out-of-focus tune from the artist's day job, yet Danger Mouse has found a way to make them cohere as an album. (Spin has a nice track-by-track look here.)

Labels: books, controversy, music