Monday, March 06, 2023

LISTENING TO - The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte by Sparks



With a new album due in May, the most active and creative septuagenarian band in the world have just dropped the first track from it - The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. Now I find it hard to be really objective about Sparks, they are for me the nearest thing to my ideal band. Ron Mael is a genius pop songwriter, and this is a classic example. The simplest of lyric, bare as it is, becomes through repetition and small word changes a comment on modern urban existence.

On first listen I thought - oh this sounds a bit thin, why did they chose to release this one?  I began then to hear how spaciously minimal and raw sounding it was. Then I saw the accompanying video, and then I got it. It is simple yet addictively catchy. They've also somehow managed to pursued Cate Blanchett (is she a close neighbour in LA or something ) to perform the most ridiculous piece of dancing to camera I've seen, it is just perfect. Respect to Cate. Meanwhile, in the background observe that Master Ron is doing small routines that subtly upstage the whole affair. This is my latest piece of pure musical joy - for this week, maybe longer. Until the next one rolls in.

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