Sparks is the portrait of Dorian Gray. As they go on, their music never ages, yet I, as a listener, is clearly getting older. Their bite is still energetic, and the melodies that they make seem effortless. "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" is a remarkable work, due that its excellence is forward-thinking but without tainting their past. For me, Sparks's albums are just a chapter in a long (and so far endless) novel. Ron Mael's lyrics are the most literate in pop; in a sense, one notices the craft that goes into his writing, and then beyond that format, which makes it art. I never think of Sparks in the terminology of rock n' roll. To me, their work belongs to the Great American Songbook tradition of songcraft and writing. Each Sparks album is a multi-media presentation, but for the ears. Sitting in front of my speakers, I can see the entire show taking place. "Lawnmower" is one of those Mael's Raymond Queneau type of songs, where the words are playful as well as adding a catchy beat. Russell Mael's voice takes character and is clearly one of the great vocalists of the last 40-something years.
There are no 'weak' cuts on this album. The songs flow from one to the other as if they all belong to the same and close family. What I do hear that is new is a sax here and there, and some songs have a loud acoustic guitar driving the melody hard. "A Study Drip, Drip, Drip" is an exceptional album in horrific times. May Sparks bring light to our world.
