Perhaps the allure of Linkous’ compositions really rested in how his songs teetered along such divides, how they irrevocably approached the edge of disaster. And yet in spite of such precariousness, the works’ beauty unfailingly prevailed over the inherent despair; melodies of haunting fragility transcended the many moments of chaos Linkous indulgently, or maybe reflexively, put into his music. No song exemplified such tensions better than “Chaos of the Galaxy/Happy Man” from Good Morning Spider. Distorted guitars slice through unshakable vocals, in which Linkous wails, “All I want is to be a happy man”. The skeleton of a hit was certainly there and the potential success of “Happy Man” seemed unlimited — if only Linkous had not chosen to mutilate the track with radio static and other eerie noises fading in and out throughout. But perhaps such game-playing and self-sabotage were the point. Linkous may very well have known he had a radio hit on his hands, and therefore he chose to subvert it by overlaying the track with the very medium he ostensibly shunned. Of course, many will point to such ironies permeating Linkous’ work, as “Happy Man” as well as other standouts “Sick of Goodbyes”, “Sad & Beautiful World”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life” have sadly acquired a new subtext in the wake of this week.
     There is word that Sparklehorse was finishing up a new album to be released later this year. Exact details of this record are still unclear, but regardless, the memory of Mark Linkous shall remain in our ears and hearts for decades to come.