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 Some time ago, Justin Hawkins, gangly, pigeon-faced frontman of
over-the-top British rockers The Darkness took a walk away from his
spandex-clad, falsetto-loving tribute to old-school rock, going solo
with a cover of Spark’s biggest hit ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The
Both Of Us’.
Fast forward a year later, and Ron and Russel Mael make a fine return to
form, booting Hawkins out and reclaiming this town, built on foundations
of near-ridiculous, operatic rock, for themselves.
From the opening bout of absurdity that makes up the hilarious ‘*****
Around’ to the intense, dramatic score of closer ‘As I Sit To Play The
Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral’, Spark’s epic twentieth album is a
grand, majestic piece of work, mixing a bold, defined sense of the
operatic with serrated guitars, lavish lyrics and a sense of harebrained
humour that makes you wonder whether your supposed to take the whole
thing seriously or not.
Your best bet is simply not to. With irreverent tunes such as ‘Perfume’,
which sounds like Queen rising from the ashes to salvage and rework Lou
Bega’s ‘Mambo #5’ or the wonderfully bombastic ‘Rock, Rock, Rock’ that
is less a banging hard rock anthem as its title may suggest, and more a
pompous romp of Spinal Tap like proportions, ‘Hello Young Lovers’ is
fine display of OTT musical theatrics designed to please the senses.
However, hidden beneath the grandiose layers of falsetto rock and
occasional hilarious lyrics, there’s a set of sublime messages about
relationships that really adds an extra depth to this already huge
album, and makes it such an essential listen.
In a musical genre all of their own, Sparks have returned with a fine,
megalomaniacal masterpiece that shows Mr. Hawkins & Co. just exactly how
falsetto-laden grandiose rock should be done.
Recommended Links:
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www.allsparks.com - Sparks official website
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www.myspace.com/allsparks - Sparks @ Myspace
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