[rating=8.00]
Opening with just a piano, “Cast Off” starts Sparkle Hard dramatically. Over its short run time, the track manages to soar with buzzing guitars, gorgeous choruses and arousing feeling that anything is possible; an emotional kickstart to the indie rock legends newest satisfying full length.
Stephen Malkmus has always had a knack for hooks, crafting unique indie pop that, while pretty, never digs that deep. That trend continues on the Jicks seventh studio album, Sparkle Hard but there are also flashes of tackling more modern topics, to go along with new recording tricks and a sense of uneasiness under the surface.
Malkmus beloved wah-wah pedal gets its first workout for “Future Suite” which also showcases Joanna Bolme’s deep bass work and light drumming from Jake Morris while “Middle America” is patented Malkmus a pretty, slightly off-kilter indie rock showcase. “Solid Silk” is dominated by Kyleen Kings strings resulting in a mellow seventies pop vibe and “Shiggy” is a warbling straight ahead rocker which allows Malkmus and Mike Clark to dig into their guitars with abandon.
Album closer “Difficulties/Let Them Eat Vowels” runs long but is clearly two completely different tracks Frankensteined together which doesn’t work well but the jam “Kite” is the true outlier for this release. The song is a holdover from Wig Out at Jagbags the bands 2014 effort, exploring the player’s prog-rock intentions. The lengthy outing pairs a folksy intro with sing-song light lyrics, doo-doo-doo backing vocals, and seventies porno wah-wah guitar before the whole thing soars via a gloriously fuzzed out solo pushing the seven-minute mark. “Kite” disrupts the flow as a complete record, but remains a hell of a song on its own with its dramatic finale.
Looking towards the modern day is “Rattler” which incorporates some digital effects and vocal filters for Malkmus, sounding like sci-fi alterna-rock while “Refute” breaks out a fiddle for a warped country tune augmented by the breathy Kim Gordon. “Bike Lane” is an evolution for Malkmus in particular as a songwriter. The lyrics juxtapose minor first world problems (the title bike lane) with police brutality, specifically the killing of Freddie Gray, all the while being lorded over by ripping saw-toothed guitars and an ominous bass line; excellent protest indie rock in the vein of Sonic Youth’s “Youth Against Fascism”.
In the end, these small tweaks and growths keep Sparkle Hard fresh for both band and listener, but by now Malkmus and his Jock cohorts have a solidly defined pattern that never wanders too far from their melodiously fluid crunchy indie rock center.
