
It’s usually pretty easy to give a verdict on modern pop music. You either like it, and it gives you an instant thrill. Or, you dislike it, never listen to that music again and replace it using any of the myriads of options available.
And, since it’s pop music, expertise isn’t required. Not only can you make up your mind in mere seconds, but you can share your opinions with others and get them to believe that you hold the absolute truth. It’s treason, perhaps, for the existence of so many talent shows/reality TV shows involving music.
It’s rare to hear music to which you simply are not equipped to react. That’s the way I felt the first time that I heard the legendary group Sparks. I hated and enjoyed their theatrical pop-art in equal measure but couldn’t stand listening to it for very long.
The next I heard them, this time willingly, I decided it was one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced. I’ve often played their music to friends and, judging by their reactions, they too have mixed feelings.
Sparks’ greatest achievement is their staying power. Not only have they managed to make quirky, experimental music for many years, but they’ve been able to largely get the world on board with their message.
So may we start is the single from Sparks’ soundtrack to the movie Annette, one they have developed themselves, a production that stars genuine Hollywood stars. As for the music, I confess to feeling the same jolt I experienced when I first heard them. It’s a complex piece of faux-pop-classic with highly memorable melodies and a great arrangement.
Pop music needs a bit of mystery, and as Sparks has continued to acquire fans, their motives and strategies have become even more opaque than before.