Marching Band - Spark Large
Sun, Aug 30 2009 10:54
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Wow. I don’t run across and album often where every song gets either four or five stars. Spark Large by Marching Band is one such album. I put a quick review on eMusic that call this a nearly perfect collection of hipster anthems. Lots of syncopation and big chords in a classic chamber pop setting. Not quite as big sounding as, say, XTC, but right there with bands like The Aluminum Group. This is one of those albums that you might not like to admit you like, but I bet you will.
For Your Love opens in as a classic large pop them with a bit of counterpoint going on among some very nice sounds. Gorgeous Behavior picks up from there with some hints of a kind of island sound. Not reggae mind you, but something akin to Jimmy Buffet in a good way.
I cannot get Make Up Artist out of my head. I’ve been singing it for at least a week. Not so much the words, but the underlying tune that works really well and epitomizes what I referred to as a hipster anthem earlier. A bit of everything going on here. The play on Make Up vs Makeup is also a nice touch.
Other reviews I’ve read seem to cite Travel in Time as the top track on Spark Large. As you might have guessed, I prefer Make Up Artist, but both get 5 stars in my book. Travel in Time takes on more of a folk-ballad feel although sticking in the pop setting. This is one song on the album whose lyrics caught me - “I’m learning how to travel in time / to make right the thing things I’ve done wrong.” Classic line keeping in perfect time with the rest of the album.
Other five star tracks are Make no Plans and I Could Never. Make no Plans follows the formula for earlier tracks nicely. However, I Could Never throws in a bit of electronica sounds. Works very nicely and contrasts with what’s going on around it in a nice way. Don’t skip the other tracks as they are at most a half step behind.
I will admit to really hating this band’s name. Don’t get me wrong, I was in plenty of marching bands, so it doesn’t have anything to do with that. It just doesn’t describe anything about the band and evokes nothing when I hear it. I’m deathly afraid that Spark Large isn’t indie enough for the indie crowd and not Britney enough for the radio crowd. Please, give me hope and prove that a brilliant pop album that is just pop music can still make it big. Buy this.
For Your Love opens in as a classic large pop them with a bit of counterpoint going on among some very nice sounds. Gorgeous Behavior picks up from there with some hints of a kind of island sound. Not reggae mind you, but something akin to Jimmy Buffet in a good way.
I cannot get Make Up Artist out of my head. I’ve been singing it for at least a week. Not so much the words, but the underlying tune that works really well and epitomizes what I referred to as a hipster anthem earlier. A bit of everything going on here. The play on Make Up vs Makeup is also a nice touch.
Other reviews I’ve read seem to cite Travel in Time as the top track on Spark Large. As you might have guessed, I prefer Make Up Artist, but both get 5 stars in my book. Travel in Time takes on more of a folk-ballad feel although sticking in the pop setting. This is one song on the album whose lyrics caught me - “I’m learning how to travel in time / to make right the thing things I’ve done wrong.” Classic line keeping in perfect time with the rest of the album.
Other five star tracks are Make no Plans and I Could Never. Make no Plans follows the formula for earlier tracks nicely. However, I Could Never throws in a bit of electronica sounds. Works very nicely and contrasts with what’s going on around it in a nice way. Don’t skip the other tracks as they are at most a half step behind.
I will admit to really hating this band’s name. Don’t get me wrong, I was in plenty of marching bands, so it doesn’t have anything to do with that. It just doesn’t describe anything about the band and evokes nothing when I hear it. I’m deathly afraid that Spark Large isn’t indie enough for the indie crowd and not Britney enough for the radio crowd. Please, give me hope and prove that a brilliant pop album that is just pop music can still make it big. Buy this.