Scouse Songbirds
In a way, Liverpool is the home of the pop song - at least, in the modern, post-Be*tles sense of the term.
The city loves a well crafted song, with Liverpool and its environs spilling out lost talents such as Michael Head and Lee Mavers. The past few years have seen a growing pool of musicians getting back to basics, digging out their acoustic guitars and focussing on the glories of a three minute track.
Sparkwood & 21 are amongst them. Cult heroes in their hometown, the band have - like so many Liverpool talents - thus far failed to penetrate beyond the city's boundaries.
A tragedy, that might be overcome by their new album 'Believe In Time'. Shades of R.E.M.'s more pastoral fixations ripple through, with Sparkwood & 21 managing to channel many of the same influences which fuelled the seminal Athens (Georgia) collective.
There's a knowledge of country here, with the heartfelt romanticism of Gram Parsons clearly never far from their minds. Alex Chilton could also be an inspiration, with Sparkwood & 21 recalling the glorious harmonies of '#1 Record'.
Yet this isn't some record shop duel, some game of one-up-man-ship pitting record collection against record collection. Sparkwood & 21 come across as a completely natural collective, like a band of mates grabbing their acoustic guitars as the house party begins to wind down.
ClashMusic have obtained 'Another Year' as a starting point. Opening with crashing cymbals and Dylan-esque harmonica, this is all breezy, late summer songwriting - optimistic, but continually looking over its shoulder at what might have been.
Listen to it now... Grab it HERE.
Right click, 'Save As...'
The city loves a well crafted song, with Liverpool and its environs spilling out lost talents such as Michael Head and Lee Mavers. The past few years have seen a growing pool of musicians getting back to basics, digging out their acoustic guitars and focussing on the glories of a three minute track.
Sparkwood & 21 are amongst them. Cult heroes in their hometown, the band have - like so many Liverpool talents - thus far failed to penetrate beyond the city's boundaries.
A tragedy, that might be overcome by their new album 'Believe In Time'. Shades of R.E.M.'s more pastoral fixations ripple through, with Sparkwood & 21 managing to channel many of the same influences which fuelled the seminal Athens (Georgia) collective.
There's a knowledge of country here, with the heartfelt romanticism of Gram Parsons clearly never far from their minds. Alex Chilton could also be an inspiration, with Sparkwood & 21 recalling the glorious harmonies of '#1 Record'.
Yet this isn't some record shop duel, some game of one-up-man-ship pitting record collection against record collection. Sparkwood & 21 come across as a completely natural collective, like a band of mates grabbing their acoustic guitars as the house party begins to wind down.
ClashMusic have obtained 'Another Year' as a starting point. Opening with crashing cymbals and Dylan-esque harmonica, this is all breezy, late summer songwriting - optimistic, but continually looking over its shoulder at what might have been.
Listen to it now... Grab it HERE.
Right click, 'Save As...'
