When the family of Sparklehorses Mark Linkous discovered his uncompleted fifth album in the archive of recordings he left behind after his death in 2010, they had a difficult decision to make: Should they leave it as-is, or finish and release it? They chose the latter, drafting producer Alan Weatherhead, mixer Joel Hamilton, and engineer Greg Calbi to tie up the musical loose ends and bringing on Grandaddys Jason Lytle and Linkous nephew Spencer to provide additional vocals. It was a wise choice. Not only is Bird Machine a chance for Linkous family to celebrate his beautiful, empathetic music by sharing it with his fans, its also one of Sparklehorses finest albums. Bird Machine is so evocative of Linkous previous work that it feels manifested out of memories of his songs. Blanketed in barbed distortion, "It Will Never Stop" begins the album with a burst of the noise-pop that peppered albums like Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (and hints at why Linkous named his studio Static King). Several moments rival his masterpieces Good Morning Spider and Its a Wonderful Life. From its title to its surreal sorrow, "Kind Ghosts" is quintessential Sparklehorse -- and one of many moments that will make fans grateful Bird Machine finally saw the light of day. "Falling Down," a piece of spectral Americana informed by Linkous love of the Beatles and Daniel Johnston, is another, as is "Stay," which closes the album with the quiet, knowing reassurance he was so good at giving to his listeners. Though its a seamless addition to Sparklehorses catalog, Bird Machines simpler production sets it apart from Linkous previous albums. He recorded several songs at Steve Albinis Electrical Audio, then embellished them and crafted other songs at Static King; the additions from the team who finished the album are respectfully subtle. This lends a vibrant openness to songs such as "Chaos of the Universe" and lets listeners get close to Linkous music after more than a decade of silence. It also allows his songwriting to shine. Being far away from loved ones is a major theme on Bird Machine, and the circumstances of its release give an extra poignancy to the ruminations of a lonely soldier on "Hello Lord" and the deceptively warm isolation of "Everybodys Gone to Sleep." Little touches reflecting Linkous love for his family make Bird Machine achingly personal, whether its the rollicking cover of Robyn Hitchcocks "Listening to the Higsons," a favorite of Linkous and his brother Matt, or the way he turns a voicemail message from his then-five-year-old nephew into a ghostly transmission on the fragile ballad "O Child." Since Linkous songs always felt timeless and out-of-time, Sparklehorses music has only sounded better with age. Even so, the chance to connect with his music for the first time once again is something like a miracle. Listening to Bird Machine is a heartbreaking, uplifting experience -- in other words, a perfect tribute to the way he moved so many people. ~ Heather Phares

Rovi