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Sparks: MAD!
New album: LA’s beloved veteran brothers and international treasures Ron and Russell Mael return with their 28th studio LP , filled with various styles of their pioneering pop, new wave, art-rock, chamber, operatic – various amusing, mischievous, satirical, trivial and declamatory, dipping into subjects such as branded backpacks, tattoos, and performative devotion
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Part 1 selection of 2023 favourite albums
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 1, and Part 2 is also out here. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order. This is all about quality and innovation …
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Sparks’ 27th studio album: The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
New album: Sparky, humorous electro-art-pop joy throughout as the pioneering veteran Mael brothers Ron and Russell return with a classic 27th studio album, packed with catchy droll, silly, zeitgeisty wit and cinematographic scenes and characters
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Lianne La Havas, Fiona Apple and Yves Tumor are among three artists who have released outstanding LPs
Albums of 2020 roundup: A year of lockdowns, alternative sounds, experimentation and surprises. This is the first half two roundups of a total over 50 favourite albums of the year that musicians stayed at home. And here’s Part 2.
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This week’s shiny new album selection collection
This week’s roundup has a wealth of genre-spanning artists from the wit and wisdom of Sparks and Magnetic Fields to the low-key funk of Nick Hakim, the gender-redefining pop of Perfume genius to the fusions of Witch ‘n’ Monk
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No swan song ... St Vincent
St Vincent to Queens of the Stone Age, Marika Hackman to Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes to the Mountain Goats, this second part of our readers' favourite albums throws up lots of questions over the self and others
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Water pair: Sparks are playing it cool by the pool.
The Mael brothers continue to surprise and delight, some unheard 70s archive from Neil Young, Tori Amos takes on the alt-right and climate change, plus The National, Alvvays and The Waterboys colour this week's selection
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