After the prog opus of their second album Frances The Mute, where would Mars Volta go next? The answer is yet more time-shifting, wailing vocals, rapid-fire guitar excursions, and the (now mandatory?) soft-focus piano-led Latin interlude, and more musical ideas than you can hit with a drumstick. Opening with spaced-out keys, guitars, and percussion, first track "Vicarious Atonement" follows with mellow guitar figures and melodious vocals, in turn followed by one of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez' many no-holds-barred guitar workouts. No drums appear until seven-plus minutes have elapsed. And so it goes for each of these extended (all but one go past the six-minute mark), original, and invigorating songs, with multiple parts cascading into one another and gentle portions framed by pulverizing beats, treated guitars, and various other sounds (both vocal and non-). The lyrics are still as obscure as ever, e.g., a repeated chorus of "Don't let these hands/sharpen your eyes/a rasp of tails". But the words come less furiously than on the Mars Volta previous two efforts, and the same can be said for the guitar jams, which, while still numerous, are somehow tastier without losing any of their complexity. "Viscera Eyes" will be a highlight for many, with its Led Zeppelin stomp underpinning Cedric Bixler-Zavala's blend of Latin and English lyrics. If there is fault to be found here, it is that the band often tries to pack too many ideas into each song, resulting in some that outlast their welcome and others that simply don't work. But to criticize a band for trying to stuff too much into their work is a criticism this listener can live with. In a world where most bands ride one or two ideas for the course of an entire album (or career), it is hard to listen to a Mars Volta record without appreciating that these guys are working as hard as they can at pushing the boundaries of what they believe rock music might be. As this album abruptly ends in mid-song, that is enough to keep this listener coming back for more.

One of the oldest clichés in rock music is that sadness and tragedy set the stage for the artist to create great things. Mark Linkous, aka Sparklehorse, shows once again on his newest album that clichés exist for a reason: they contain a lot of truth. Back in the late 90's, Linkous suffered a near-death experience, followed by partial paralysis and severe depression. Dreamt For Light Years. . . is his third gorgeous album to arise within the context of these experiences. Five years removed from It's A Wonderful Life, his last album, Linkous has once again crafted a supremely melancholy, yet supremely hopeful-sounding work. Largely framed by acoustic guitars and pianos, Linkous does not explicitly refer to his past, but rather conjures up the feelings of sadness mixed with optimism that is so characteristic of his work. Ably assisted by Dangermouse, as well as two-thirds of Flaming Lips (not Wayne Coyne), Sparklehorse abounds in Beatles-like melodies, snatches of samples and electronic tidbits, fuzzy guitars, and muffled, falsetto-lite vocals. Although a few rockers are present, this is his softest, most ballad-oriented work to date, appropriately closing with a 10-minute plus instrumental beauty. "I could look at your face for a 1000 years/It's like a civil war of pain and cheer," goes one of the lyrics (perhaps Linkous looking in a mirror?). This perfectly sums up the tenor of this gem of an album.