It's A Wonderful Life

Mojo - "...Among America's modern primitives Mark Linkous is close to pre-eminent." Q - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Excellent....combining droll lyrical insights with various permutations of guitar, keyboards, drums and electronica..." Spin - 6 out of 10 - "...A thick candy-and-sandpaper shell of weird old keyboards, strings, and liberally applied distortion concealing Dave Fridmann's frail Virginia murmur and surreal images..." Magnet - Included in Magnet's "20 Best Albums of 2001". CMJ - "...This is a mood record for sure - but one that's not without its mood swings..." NME - Ranked #22 in NME's 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001". Alternative Press - 7 out of 10 - "...An enchanting record..." Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Slow and elegiac....The music is stately and deep as good loam, built around a few measures repeated stolidly with a kind of back-country resignation....peculiarly evocative." NME - 8 out of 10 - "...A wonderful record...of backwood blues....Every moment thrums with micro-activity..." Magnet (12-1/02, p.57) - Included in Magnet's "20 Best Albums of 2001". NME (12/29/01, p.59) - Ranked #22 in NME's 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001". Rolling Stone (8/30/01, p.122) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Slow and elegiac....The music is stately and deep as good loam, built around a few measures repeated stolidly with a kind of back-country resignation....peculiarly evocative." Spin (10/01, p.127) - 6 out of 10 - "...A thick candy-and-sandpaper shell of weird old keyboards, strings, and liberally applied distortion concealing Dave Fridmann's frail Virginia murmur and surreal images..." Q (7/01, p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Excellent....combining droll lyrical insights with various permutations of guitar, keyboards, drums and electronica..." Alternative Press (10/01, p.100) - 7 out of 10 - "...An enchanting record..." Mojo (7/01, p.98) - "...Among America's modern primitives Mark Linkous is close to pre-eminent." NME (6/9/01, p.40) - 8 out of 10 - "...A wonderful record...of backwood blues....Every moment thrums with micro-activity..." CMJ (9/3/01, p.5) - "...This is a mood record for sure - but one that's not without its mood swings..."

Third full-length album from Mark Linkous, featuring more of his trademark bittersweet alt-country rock. The album includes guest appearances by Tom Waits, the Cardigans' Nina Persson, and PJ Harvey. It was produced by Harvey's long-time collaborator John Parish and Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev producer Dave Fridmann.|