From suggestions on which backpack to buy to a sense of independence in the face of adversity, Sparks are running the gauntlet on Mad! They are in a mood reflected in the title of this latest studio album, but their unique read on the world, that tinge of electronic pop sound, is what separates their rage from a more conventional anger. Their previous album, The Girl is Crying in Her Latte, assessed the reasons for those tears, the why of where our anger comes from. It felt like a soft farewell to the duo, with Ron and Russell Mael leaving no suggestion of another album to follow their 2023 effort, which ended with the rather telling Gee, That Was Fun. That it was, and the thrill of creation keeps Sparks in business for another go around. Whether they are infuriated or insane on this release is up to the listener.
Opening song Do Things My Own Way remains a defiant piece, the band desiring a route of independence before the hyperspecific, advertisement-like JanSport Backpack follows. These two singles serve as experimental moments for Sparks, who are keen as ever to find a new direction for their sound, to understand the stripped-back sound they are developing. Though JanSport Backpack may feature a flurry of instrumental stammers, the heavy-hitting chorus and the echoes of the closing bars, it is a suggestion of lighter stylings, of a sparse instrumental bed which the band can build on and easily mould into new tones when performing live. Mood is everything for Mad!, and a song like Hit Me, Baby, shows it. Heavy instrumentals, jagged edges, and unnerving material are what the duo provides here, and it is a thrill, a conscious choice to head back into the depths of their discography and learn a lesson or two from their synth-heavy days.
They apply these new sounds and old tones well, best of all on Running Up a Tab at the Hotel for the Fab. Eerie sounds and a high-strung horror sense are what the duo develops here. Moments of madness in the lightning-like impact of electronic instrumental additions. Sparks makes an archaeological dig site of their discography and throws every bone they have at Mad! It may make for a messy listen at times, but it sure is entertaining. My Devotion hears the band try and hold a simpler vocal style, the chance to play up the long-lasting love, but it feels out of place on an album filled with frenetic experimentation of old sounds and fresh ideas. Just when it feels the duo are losing their way, getting wrapped up in a trip down nostalgic roads, they haul themselves into the layby of simpler tones, softer aims and honest intentions. In Daylight salvages the little dents in the Mad! vehicle, a charming and open pop of embracing the future.
Sparks still holds that whimsy, the left-field style which has kept them relevant and exciting for over five decades of work. You can hear as much on I-405 Rules. But they are keen to show they have an ear for the sinister, for the macabre and orchestral horrors which creep into our lives in times of crisis. A Long Red Light highlights this best of all, a magnificent, latter stage of Mad! which fuses the desire to pioneer and explore the future, but finds instrumental lessons from a divisive period. Likeable and consistent tones from a legendary duo, Mad! may not find either mania or outrage, though it does shine a light on their range of styles, the thrill ride through a discography full of fascinating moments is a welcome journey.
