I don’t know why people get so hung up on the bombast and bravado of rock or the accessibility and addictive qualities of pop when the perfect hybrid of the two exists. Power-pop, in the right hands at least, is the perfect marriage of the attitude and swagger of the former and the fun and sonic frolics of the latter. And, on the strength of his new long player, Basement Sparks, Marc Valentine is precisely the right pair of hands.
It helps that he has again fielded a quality side of players, players who have trodden the boards alongside him in stalwart glam-rock-popsters Last Great Dreamers as well having had their own adventures with The Snakes, Steve Ignorant, Ginger Wildheart, Sister Morphine and many more besides.
But name-dropping will only get you so far. Of course, it’s all about the songs, and Marc has them in spades. Tyrannical Wrecks is the perfect blend of infectiousness and abrasive groove. The slightly 60’s, pastoral-pop tinged Eve of Distraction is not only a masterclass in sweetness and swagger but also ticks boxes for sing-along-ability (that’s a word, right?), not to mention puns. Repeat Offender is a roots-rock party, and there is even room for a touch of lush, wide-screen balladry in the form of 3 AM Anderson Drive.
We hear so much about the difficult second album, but Basement Sparks sounds as if Marc Valentine could fire off such sweet sonic salvos until the end of time and he does so, leading a band that sounds as if they are having so much fun they would follow him to the ends of the earth. If not further.
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