Sparks are a Californian duo comprised of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, who rocketed to stardom through a series of colossal hits and who certainly have an ear for the unique. Their sound isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever heard and, with the release of their 23rd (yes, 23rd) album, Hippopotamus, yet another side to these confusing minds has been released into the world.

Honestly, I’m not sure where to start this review, as the entirety of this album is randomness and confusion at its core. Opening track ‘Probably Nothing’ may introduce the rough outline of the album’s oddities through a jarring sombre piano combined with a bizarre, yet captivating humour, however, is by no means a benchmark to base the rest of the record on. Similarly, being introduced to Russell’s equally bewildering falsetto vocals are something that you can’t quite explain without hearing for yourself. They hold an almost intentional drollness to them but suddenly become sparks (no pun intended) of high flourishes which send each and every track on the record into an unexpected twist.

Above all other themes, this album is incredibly self aware. The Mael brothers clearly know their audience and have used their unique gimmicks to create a series of intricate tracks which address a series of issues in an overall package which perplexes audiences to listen on and simply embrace the eccentricity of the record. Whether you’re be hearing about the “Hippopotamus in the pool” from the album’s namesake or the ongoing narrative of being a modern day French director, we even address IKEA (or another Scandinavian furniture store) at one point! The album simply makes no sense or has any form of continuity in the most delightful way.

This is both one of the best and worst aspects of the record. The lack of contingency does allow for sporadic listening and a brief delightful sensation of escaping into this bizarre universe Sparks have created. However, simultaneously, if you wanted an ongoing listen, from a personal stance, I found myself constantly switching off and the delightful gimmick of randomness and musical abnormality soon lost its touch and produced far more of a just ‘being weird for weirdness sake’.

Nonetheless there are certainly a few tracks on this record which can be enjoyed singularly and offer a humorous escape from the mundanity of life, ‘Giddy Giddy’ is a hair-raising track which feels like something straight out of a Tim Burton movie. The spindly piano and the eeriness of a metallic xylophone or wind chime do truly put you in a scene of terror which you do not want to be apart of, but can’t stop listening to! The brilliant use of instrumentation adds a great deal to the twisted oddness and is something I found myself sinking into more than any other track on the record. Similarly, yet still incredibly contrastingly, is ‘Missionary Position’, a purely hilarious track which utilises an upbeat piano and acoustic to capture the position’s simplicity and brilliance in all its glory. Something I never thought I’d put in a review, but I digress. The track is an uplifting breather in amongst all of the chaos and is certainly not a track I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.

The mavericks of society, will adore this album. It is disorderly, kooky and peculiar in every sense of the word. The record is one that you can’t take on its nose and feels like more of a fun experimental project between two brothers who just want to make some music and have fun doing so. In that respect the Mael brothers have certainly found their niche and have continued their endeavour to provide the world with some of the most unique music around. For myself, however, I can’t say that Hippopotamus is a record that I’ll be flying back to in a hurry. Whilst there are a few decent tracks on the record that did make me smile a fair amount, one gimmick doesn't make an album. I think Sparks know what they are doing and they certainly do it well, but perhaps the 23rd release has seen the duo’s peak.

Ben Walker

Website: allsparks.com
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