SPARKLE MOTION: Sparkle Motion (self titled) CD released 2007
$10.00
SPARKLE MOTION: Sparkle Motion (self titled) 7" released 2006
$4.00
REVIEWS:
Sparkle Motion
self-titled CD
(Super Secret Records)
(REVIEW BY LORD RUTLEDGE)
Having previously proclaimed it one of my most eagerly-anticipated releases of 2007, I had very high expectations for Sparkle Motion's full-length debut. Oddly, I haven't had much luck with high expectations of late. The last season of The Sopranos, the movie Wedding Crashers, and this year's Philadelphia Phillies number amongst my greatest disappointments. But I'm an optimistic guy by nature and only expected the best when I put the Sparkle Motion disc on. And what'ya know? The album not only met my expectations, but exceeded them too! It's my album of the year so far, and that's nothing to sneeze at considering we're almost a third of the way through 2007!
What I love about Sparkle Motion is that they do that hard-hitting catchy punk thing I love so much, yet at the same time they don't sound like any other band out there. I hear a strong Ramones/Buzzcocks sensibility but can't really say that either band is a primary influence. Red Cross (whom they cover) might be a better point of reference. The best comparison would be to have you imagine groups like The Pets or Clorox Girls if they featured harmonized female lead vocals. Guitarists/singers Suzy Sparkle and Steph Tower (who has since left the band) sound great both individually and in unison, working the melodious and pissed-off ends of the vocal spectrum with equal aplomb. Most of the good shit from the 7" reappears here, along with some great new songs like "Pleasure Cruise", "Lie", "Meltdown", and "Resortaphobia". This is punk music the way it's supposed to be: aggressive, fun, and oozing fuck-you attitude from every pore. It was great to hear 7" tracks like "Torn Eyes" and "Hot Foot" again, because these songs demonstrate the band's distinctive fusion of gnashing ferocity and harmonious pop melody. As excellent as all the new material is, the Tower-penned "Torn Eyes" still reigns as the band's masterpiece, melding the disparate qualities of The Muffs, Red Aunts/L7 hatepunk, and the ambrosial harmonies of ABBA.
This is one of those punk albums that just flies by. One awesome song ends, and boom!, another one explodes out of the gates. Outstanding rhythm players Jillian Jerk (drums) and Pete Moss (bass) keep the action racing along, and the guitars tear through your speakers like buzzsaws. When the door slams shut with a blistering cover of "Kill Someone You Hate", I'm left jonesing for more. And that's the way it should be. So let's hear it for high expectations! Maybe my Phillies will get their act together soon. The final few Sopranos episodes could very well blow me away. But Wedding Crashers? Fuck that movie.
Lord Rutledge
April 15, 2007
Sparkle Motion
self-titled 7"
(Super Secret Records)
(REVIEW BY LORD RUTLEDGE)
I'll spare you all the obvious jokes about the band name and just say that Sparkle Motion is one of my favorite new bands of 2006. From Austin (where else!), Sparkle Motion features former members of Slum City and The Applicators. And on its debut record, the group lets loose some superb female-fronted punk rock. This is great, catchy, rockin' stuff - reminds me of the late '90s when bands like The Beautys, The Goops, and Kowalskis were selling thousands of records. This EP offers up a nice mix of awesome poppy numbers ("Try" is Baby Shakes/Nikki and the Corvettes style powerpop goodness) and straight-up ragers ("Not Your Slave" would probably appeal to fans of, say, The Tyrades). "Hot Foot" bounces back and forth between a scorching, punk-as-fuck verse and a sugar-sweet chorus. You really don't hear enough bands like this these days. Somewhere in between all the cutesy pop-punk girl bands and all that really terrible angry-chick hardcore falls Sparkle Motion. Surely the group's debut album on Super Secret will be one of my most-eagerly anticipated releases of 2007!