SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SPARKS – MAD!

SPARKS
MAD!
TRANSGRESSIVE RECORDS

For over 50 years, brothers Ron and Russell Mael, known as Sparks, have given us some of the most invigorating music, seemingly tackling every genre in their way, with ease. Their newest album, MAD!, is another masterful addition to their already remarkable career.

MAD! is a layered tour de force that feels like a combination of many Sparks albums that came before but also something entirely new. It has hints of new wave, synth-pop, baroque pop, electronic, glam, art rock, choral, and neo-classical, among others. The elaborate and intricate arrangements of the songs are incredibly fascinating. “Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab” has an adventurous James Bond-like swagger with aggressively thrilling instrumentation. “In Daylight” is a gorgeously transcendent tearjerker of a song with stunning production, majestic instrumentation, and beautiful songwriting. Russell’s vocals are mesmerizing here, as well. With “A Long Red Light”, Sparks seems to channel what they did with Lil’ Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers. It has a mesmerizing soundscape, especially the intro, which conveys an uneasy anxiousness. Lastly, “Don’t Dog It” has a super memorable piano riff courtesy of Ron. Plus, the song starts out small and minimalistic and becomes very grand and cinematic.

The songwriting of MAD! is just as impressive as the instrumentation. “JanSport Backpack” or “A Long Red Light” demonstrates that Ron still can create wildly catchy tunes against increasingly complex instrumentation and production. The extremely addictive “Do Things Mydrowned  Own Way” is the perfect mantra for Sparks. Throughout their career, they have always made outside-the-box tunes that are uniquely ‘Sparks,’ have never been afraid to reinvent themselves and experiment with a new sound, and, as the title of the track suggests, do things their own way. On the other hand, “My Devotion” and “A Little Bit Of Light Banter” have Ron’s trademark wit and humour in them that Sparks fans have come to love.

Russell’s voice is still as electrifying as ever. In “Drowned In A Sea Of Tears” his iconic falsetto is just unbelievable. His magnetic performance in this song is among the best in Sparks’ discography. With the fast-paced theatrical “I-405 Rules”, Russell’s energetic delivery and the exhilaratingly bad-ass instrumentation make the song super exciting and fun to listen to.

Overall, Sparks has no intention of slowing down with MAD! It is abundantly clear that they have tons left in the tank and continue to blow listeners away with their captivating creativeness.

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