Balls in Bloomington, MN

Los Angeles legends and music innovators
Sparks
, best known in the States for their '80s hit
"Cool Places"
with
Jane Wiedlin
, has actually been around for nearly 30 years, consistently putting out records and developing a cult following. Precursors to electronica, synth-pop, and new wave, the brothers
Ron
and
Russell Mael
have inspired such varied acts as
Ween
,
Fear
, and
They Might Be Giants
. With an ironic, irreverent way of looking at the world reflected in their wordplay and dramatic productions that are highlighted by the coldness of heavy synthesizers, they come across like a combination of the
Pet Shop Boys
Men Without Hats
, and a splash of
Devo
. Despite the welcome dichotomy created by their silly lyrics and detached synths, there is something forlorn about the duo's melodies -- even when singing lines like "I'm much more than this/more than a sex machine," covering odd topics like an ode to
Scheherezade
or explaining
"How to get Your Ass Kicked."
This being
' 18th album, the
Mael
brothers clearly know what they're doing. Though both the lyrics and the production are quirky, there is nothing dumb about them. To be able to make a song called
"More Than a Sex Machine"
anthemic shows just how elegant and how smart the
Maels
are. The melodies have brilliant pop hooks and
Russell
's voice soars.
Balls
made it worth the three-year wait between this and their last album,
Plagiarism
. ~ Bryan Buss