EMI has announced that it will finally release the star-studded Dark Night of the Soul album by Danger Mouse. (The same album that made our Top 12 end of year list in 2009).

The album, a collaboration with Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous and filmmaker David Lynch, featuring vocals from Julian Casablancas, Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys from Super Furries, Iggy Pop, Frank Black and Grandaddy's Jason Lytle, had been due out back in May but unspecified legal woes kept it on a shelf.

Danger Mouse (real name Brian Burton) went ahead and released the planned glossy side of the project, packed with over 100 photos shot by Lynch, alongside a blank CD-R containing the instructions, "For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will."

While both sides remained tight-lipped over the legal issues, it is thought they might stem from Burton's early signing with Lex Records. EMI and the super producer are no strangers to legal tensions, with the troubled label having blocked his Beatles / Jay-Z mix album that went and made his name anyway, leading to Damon Albarn hiring him to produce Demon Days for Gorillaz.

But now the cash-strapped label, which recently sold the "home of the Stones", Olympic Sound Studios, and tried to shift the quickly-listed Abbey Road Studios, has found a way to put out Dark Night Of The Soul, saying in its best label-lingo:

"We can confirm that EMI are working with Brian Burton AKA Danger Mouse again, and are delighted to be doing so." - EMI

For his part, Burton has moved on, forming Broken Bells with James Mercer of The Shins and telling 6 Music:

"It's really enjoyable music to make," he told 6 Music. "This reminded me of why I wanted to make music in the beginning. As long as I can keep doing it, I will. I'm not really interested in too much else right now."

Thanks to NPR for streaming the album:.







Tracklisting:

    1.    "Revenge" (featuring The Flaming Lips)
    2.    "Just War" (featuring Gruff Rhys)
    3.    "Jaykub" (featuring Jason Lytle)
    4.    "Little Girl" (featuring Julian Casablancas)
    5.    "Angel's Harp" (featuring Black Francis)
    6.    "Pain" (featuring Iggy Pop)
    7.    "Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)" (featuring David Lynch)
    8.    "Everytime I'm with You" (featuring Jason Lytle)
    9.    "Insane Lullaby" (featuring James Mercer)
    10.    "Daddy's Gone" (featuring Mark Linkous and Nina Persson)    
    11.    "The Man Who Played God" (featuring Suzanne Vega)
    12.    "Grim Augury" (featuring Vic Chesnutt)
    13.    "Dark Night of the Soul" (featuring David Lynch)