NEW SOUND MAGAZINE NEWSOUND_VOL_VII_2013 | Page 14

ALBUM
REVIEW
BY ASHLEY GOLL

E

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yes To The Sun contained hit after hit
of sun-soaked pop-rock tunes – come
on, you still know the words to the chorus of
“My Heart Radio” – Sparks The Rescue lost
their footing on Worst Thing I’ve Been Cursed
With. Seemingly unsure of how to top their
debut record, they faltered on the release
by playing it too safe, wishing to avoid a
notorious sophomore slump. As a result, the
release lacked the likability that drenched the
summery Eyes To The Sun, being enjoyable yet

instantly forgettable.
However, things are different this time
around, and that’s clear from the get go. In
fact, starting the EP off with “Disaster” may be
the best decision the five guys have ever made
– seriously, their best decision. The immediate
employment of dual vocals – courtesy of
former member Marty McMorrow helping out
– quickly removes the monotonous taste left
from Worst Thing. Adding a varied delivery to

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the vocals gives the track the necessary kick it
needs, making certain our ears are glued to
the song and ready for more.

these words stick in your mind, as this idea of
burning the past and being rebuilt upholds the
theme of the whole EP.

The biting riff in “Burn All My Clothes”
ignites Roy’s wails of “Too many times before /
I felt as though I’m stuck in a cliché / You can’t
sell a broken record / So just throw the songs
away / Come on, destroy everything I used to
be.” The guitar tepidly builds into these words
before taking off into a vicious riff, assuring

On “Water Your Heart (Safe, Sound, and
Buried),” the band stutter steps its way into the
chorus, with piercing guitars weaving in and
out of the hook throughout the track. Such
buildup really makes the chorus stick out while
you’re just waiting for the hook to hit you in
the jaw.

The final “Phoenix” changes the whole
mood of the EP, with Sparks The Rescue taking
the acoustic route out. Ending with this image
of a phoenix symbolizes the rebirth of the
band: “Fly away, start over somewhere south /
She says the weather’s nice.” And so, through
these last words comes a new beginning for
the band. Funded completely by fans, this is a
career-defining EP for the Sparks The Rescue –
it is their rebirth and welcome back.

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