Mark Linkous almost died once, almost lost his legs, almost couldn’t make any more music.

That would have sucked.

He didn’t though, and now he (Sparklehorse) has finally released a new album—the first in half a decade. Well, it’s not officially released, but I managed to acquire it through the murderous and gruesome black market.

Here’s the thing about Mark Linkous: he makes weird music that is altogether delicate, surreal, and rather depressing. Probably it’s because he does a lot of drugs and sometimes is depressed and has a chemical imbalance in his brain. Probably it’s because he’s a gifted musician. Whatever the reason, I don’t care.

Anyway, the new Sparklehorse album is titled Dreamt For Light Years In the Belly of a Mountain. It’s a weird title, and it’s the most depressing album he’s ever made. If you are sad, then this is what you should listen to. The thing about Mark Linkous is you can listen to his songs when you are sad and they will actually make you feel slightly less sad while still feeling sad. It’s a wonderful feeling.

“Knives of Summertime” caresses me

Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous nearly died in 1996 after mixing various painkillers with prescription drugs and alcohol. lovingly, starts crying, tells me it’s going to kill itself, buys me roses, goes for a drive in the country with me. I tell it I love it. I tell it thank you. I tell it I really enjoy its weird solo of strange loops and blips and words. I tell it I love it again. “Mountains” convulses and shimmers like a kite in a storm somewhere. It gives me strange feelings — like is it going to rain, or, am I going to die. When I’m done listening to “See the Light” I think I actually might be dead. Peacefully dead.

The music is all so surreal it’s nearly impossible not to smile and float and swim in the clouds. Sparklehorse makes normal reality seem weird. Sparklehorse makes me want to live in a small cabin on a mountain by myself and eat apples all day long.

I am pretty happy with Mark Linkous right now — even if i’m still a little sad.