Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro
So, what do you get when you are born in Australia, move to LA and have four generations of musical talent I your family? Sam Sparro and his self titled debut album tinged with 80’s synths, disco and funk .It almost sounds like the start of a joke doesn’t it?
Born in Australia Sam Falson, he moved to LA as a child where his father signed a record deal and recorded a gospel album, Sam Sparro’s great grandfather was a respected music professor and his grandfather a jazz musician it is no wonder that he has followed them into what is almost the family business.
The album kicks off with Too Many Questions and its funky bass which serves as the perfect introduction to what this album is all about. The centrepiece to the album is the magnificent Black And Gold which is already one of the songs of the year. It shows a remarkable maturity beyond his years with synth hooks and a bounding bass line that mix into one as a glorious swirling tune. Best played on a sunny day very loudly! After that though the album struggles to reach the heights hit by Black And Gold, but then that is hardly surprising or a crime. 21st Century Life is a funky eighties influenced where Sparro shows off his vocal range, however it feels slightly forced and over produced. Sick is one of the few songs that threatens to reach the heights of B&G and has an early New Order feel to it with its dead pan delivery. It is one of the simpler songs on the album and really benefits from it. Waiting For Time slows the pace down somewhat and finds Sparro in somewhat reflective mood.
After that, things take a slight turn for the worse unfortunately, Recycle It! And Cottonmouth really let the middle section of this album. Recycle It! Is just plain weird and seems to be a message to recycle more, while cottonmouth is just plain annoying with its high pitched vocal delivery. But, things do pick up with Hot Mess, heavily influenced by Prince, which picks the pace up again and is irresistibly funky even if the opening line is somewhat crass. Pocket keeps the tempo up, starting off with bouncing synths before it become a full on house track with pumping bass and drums whilst still managing to fit in a melody to die for. Cut Me Loose is again heavily influenced by seventies disco funk and even you can even hear some Jackson Five in there as well. It will have the floors filled this summer. Sally harks back to eighties funk, even in its production and is followed by Clingwrap with its cringe worthy chorus “Ya must have thought I was ya snack/Because ya stickin’ to me like cling wrap”. It definitely betrays the maturity shown elsewhere on the album and demonstrates the inconsistency shown here. The album is brought to a close by Can’t Stop This, which is a fitting closing song and leaves a clean taste on the palette.
While inconsistent in places, Sam Sparro does reach some remarkable heights, most notably with Black And Gold. Give him a year or two and hopefully some of those inconsistencies will have been ironed out and the follow up with be a corker. Definitely worth checking out, some good summer tunes here to turn up and get down too.
Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro
2008 Universal Island Records
Tracklisting:
Too Many Questions
Black And Gold
21st Century Life
Sick
Waiting For Time
Recycle It
Cottonmouth
Hot Mess
Pockett
Cut Me Loose
Sally
Clingwrap
Can’t Stop This