not sure what has driven me to revisit sparklehorse’s good morning spider, but for the past couple of weeks i have been midly obsessed with it. its a brilliant record, so there’s that, but i almost find more of a connection with it now than i did when it was released in 1999. for those that dont know the story surrounding this record, it was recorded after mark nearly died after a drug reaction of sorts, and then spent some time, after his recouperation, in a mental institution.
with all that is going in on in my life, possible move back to chicago, trying to find jobs, place to live, schools for the kids, wife quitting her job, general unhappiness and my own anxiety, good morning spiders treads, actually walks pretty loudly all over subjects of doubt, regret, the unknown, etc. all of which, of course, i am going through at this point. one would think it’d be a very depressing record, but even as mark was going through what he was going through there’s still an air of hope and moving forward even in all the grey clouds that was his brain, maybe my brain too. thus is the power of music. people can tell things are going to get “better,” but sometimes i am more apt to listen to a complete stranger and his/her music than my own family. im sure im not the only one like this? either way, the record at this point is pretty cathartic, even though im listening to someone’s own pains unfurling. btw, vic chesnutt, who was a friend of marks, can be heard in the song “sunshine” as vic left mark a message while he, mark, was in the hospital.
you can listen to sparklehorse via spotify or buy his stuff via amazon
It is funny that you posted this as I have been on a mild Sparklehorse cycle in recent works. For me, it has been the Dark Night of the Soul of the record that has been in constant rotation.
It is odd how certain records from the past surface just when you need them, isn’t it?