[rating=3.50]
Critical praise was heaped upon Birmingham, Alabama’s Through the Sparks’ 2007 full-length debut, Lazarus Beach. Prior to Lazarus the band released two EPs that had begun to homebrew a fan base for their folksy indie rock. Diving into their brand new release, Worm Moon Waning, it is apparent the band is a creative and inspired trio lead by songwriter and vocalist Jody Nelson. With so much folk and Americana indie rock being released these days it is challenging for a band to stand out from the heaps of mustached hipsters but Through the Sparks manages to strike a solid balance inside their melancholic lyrics and wistful, creative arrangements. Friends and family members join in the sparse yet orchestral structures that are bolstered by a hefty dose of muted horns throughout.
The album begins slowly with “Hotrock Constellations” which barely registered until the fourth listen when its piano melody and backing vocals began to shine a bit of light through some too early in the album brooding. “Turn Everything Off” and “Like a Dove” follow with a bit of sprightly bounce pushed forward with warm brass accents and an escalating use of melody. A little more lift off.
Recording Warm Moon Waning live in a basement and keeping it a brief 37 minutes long, Through the Sparks slowly inserts touches of adventurous sonic atmospherics that begin to deepen the mood and broaden the scope of the music. Think a Wilco hybrid here – the folksy arrangements and instrumentation of Summerteeth with a slight undertone of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot weird. “Buddy Holly’s Gun” increases the melancholy again with a dark, rumbling bass line countered by a warm, almost sunny, chorus melody. A touch of delayed guitar and those same muted horns add color.
“Sad Rock” is the album’s strongest song. “Shake, shake,” sings Nelson. ”Sing along to the melody of a eulogy. Shake your insides to the sad, sad rock n roll.” His often times opaque lyrics appear to be both ruminative and nostalgic throughout the album, bristling with unclear anxieties and softened by a yearning, vague hope. “Sad Rock” seems to be a tale of both weary older folks with dashed dreams -our community’s walking ghosts – and those creative young adults holding big dreams but lacking motivation and a sense of reality. The finest horn line on the album brings the song to a subdued and imaginative finish. It took a full five listens to begin to appreciate but Worm Moon Waning quick pace enables the album to grow easily. It is a creative illustration that given some time will stand out from the countless bands attempting a similar sound.
