Indie Favourites Sparkadia Release Their Debut Album 'Postcards'

11 August 2008 by Max Easton

Sparkadia hit their straps in 2006 with their hallmark track ‘Morning Light’ rushing to high rotation on non-commercial radio, seeing them placed firmly on the billing of the festival circuit; playing the Playground Weekender and the Great Escape in early 2007. The song that plagued radio last year is distinctly different to the one we hear now, re-invented with a quirky new focus, ‘Morning Light’ has matured along with the rest of their catalogue for a delivery of 12 solid tracks making ‘Postcards’ a delicious foray that tests the line between pop and indie almost painfully...pirking the ears of the commercial and toying with the musical snobbery present in the judgemental indie fraternity.

Sparkadia have designed an album just as comfortable in up-tempo pop as it is in the swooning, haunting atmospheric sound dragged out of nineties indie. It’s a three-pronged musical attack from the poppy tones of ‘Too Much To Do’ to the distortion of ‘Jealousy’ and completing the triangle with the haunting whistles, moans and croons of ‘Sleeping Lion.’ Sounds of Joy Division on ‘The Kiss of Death’ mingle comfortably with a taste of Editors on ‘Space & Time’ creating an original sound with a distinct flavour of familiarity that you just can’t quite put your finger on regardless of how many times you whirl it around your CD player in the hope of coming up with a more informed judgement. It’s a beautiful, well-rounded, diverse sounding album that does nothing but please for 45 minutes.

One of the most interesting aspect s of the album is that it seems to have the ability to blend each song into each other seamlessly in order to create its 12 track package, whilst each song is strong enough to hold its own. It plays as a complete album despite the marked differences between each track; ‘Morning Light’ is almost the polar opposite of ‘The Last Thing You Need,’ yet they are completely comfortable sitting together in the same album. The arrangement of each individual song has been carried out beautifully before being placed in a track list where each song perfectly complements the one either side of it. It’s masterfully done and a welcome addition to some of the finest Australian indie releases of the last few years.

Whoever’s been spreading the rumours that indie is fading fast need only listen to ‘Postcards’ to disprove themselves before following it up by tracking down their stablemates in the form of 78 Saab, The Holidays, Sui Zhen and Starky, all of whom are happily and successfully playing this brand of haunting indie rock that’s cemented itself as Sydney’s own. The album is diverse enough to please most, but grounded enough in its own style to be taken seriously as an original release. Listen to the singles to hear what it has to offer, but buy the album to experience it in its entirety...it’s more than worth a cycle of repeat listens based on the sum of its parts.

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