sparkwood. jalopy pop. review by alan haber. buhdge

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Jalopy Pop Sparkwood (2005) When something is right, you know it. You know it right away. There's no mucking about, debating the worth of a thing. It's either in the bag, or it isn't. The music of Sparkwood, carefully crafted by knowing musicians with a keen sense of what turns ears on, is the kind of thing that's most definitely in the bag. It's the kind of thing you like right off the bat. I bet you're going to like the immediacy and charm of Sparkwood's latest collection, because it speaks to you with all of the hallmarks that great, catchy, melodic pop does, because it was obviously made by musicians having a great deal of fun. These boys leave the making of grand statements to wannabe philosophers and money managers. These boys take the songs of keyboardist (and part-time guitarist) Bart Padar and whip them into a pop frenzy that is as infectious as this kind of good thing gets. It's pop for pop's sake, enthusiastic and fun, and that's what the world needs right about now: something to make it smile. So get those facial muscles in gear. "Miles Away" joins the pantheon of classic pop songs that exude an extreme sense of joy and are able to turn any frown upside down. A right-clever background vocal arrangement lifts this one into the stratosphere; the melody is something else, and the chorus is pure heaven. Padar's lead vocal is the real hook here; he's obviously having a great time singing, something which he communicates with abandon. The highlights abound in this jalopy of pop: "Cruel World"'s classically-structured mid-tempo balladry (and another clearly wonderful chorus); "D"'s McCartneyesque music hall nod, which fuses with a rocking stance around the middle; "In Your Lovin' Arms"'s unabashed story of unbridled love; and the old-fashioned seventies feeling of the melodic "Nichole's Overture" and the pretty "Glimpse of Hope." This is the kind of record that guarantees pleasure every time it spins. You know what you like, and I know you're going to like this. Alan Haber April 17, 2005
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Jalopy Pop
Sparkwood
(2005)

sparkwood's jalopy pop When something is right, you know it. You know it right away. There's no mucking about, debating the worth of a thing. It's either in the bag, or it isn't. The music of Sparkwood, carefully crafted by knowing musicians with a keen sense of what turns ears on, is the kind of thing that's most definitely in the bag. It's the kind of thing you like right off the bat. I bet you're going to like the immediacy and charm of Sparkwood's latest collection, because it speaks to you with all of the hallmarks that great, catchy, melodic pop does, because it was obviously made by musicians having a great deal of fun.

These boys leave the making of grand statements to wannabe philosophers and money managers. These boys take the songs of keyboardist (and part-time guitarist) Bart Padar and whip them into a pop frenzy that is as infectious as this kind of good thing gets. It's pop for pop's sake, enthusiastic and fun, and that's what the world needs right about now: something to make it smile.

So get those facial muscles in gear. "Miles Away" joins the pantheon of classic pop songs that exude an extreme sense of joy and are able to turn any frown upside down. A right-clever background vocal arrangement lifts this one into the stratosphere; the melody is something else, and the chorus is pure heaven. Padar's lead vocal is the real hook here; he's obviously having a great time singing, something which he communicates with abandon.

The highlights abound in this jalopy of pop: "Cruel World"'s classically-structured mid-tempo balladry (and another clearly wonderful chorus); "D"'s McCartneyesque music hall nod, which fuses with a rocking stance around the middle; "In Your Lovin' Arms"'s unabashed story of unbridled love; and the old-fashioned seventies feeling of the melodic "Nichole's Overture" and the pretty "Glimpse of Hope."

This is the kind of record that guarantees pleasure every time it spins. You know what you like, and I know you're going to like this.

Alan Haber
April 17, 2005