Through The Sparks is back with their latest endeavor Alamalibu, which brings together the floaty and carefree feel of a beach but with the heart of the countryside thrown in. The lo-fi, folky starter, “Brion Monchus,” leads Alamalibu in with a sound similar to The Beatles. Through The Sparks trades in the relaxed pace for an upbeat, snappy jam that has a stronger country sound than the other cuts on the disc. However, it is a swinging piece that stands on its own two feet and doesn’t get washed away by the others. The quintet slows things down a little bit on “Common Goals.” The acoustic number flows like a cool summer breeze and is quite pleasant.
Although the band keeps things generally on the chill side, “Angel Fix” is edgier with its darker bass grooves. The number has a much more tense and fast-paced vibe over its predecessors. The shredding guitar solo helps the cut stand out among the rest of the pieces on the disc. The finale, “Preacher Pink,” isn’t as strong as the rest of the album, which was mildly disappointing. While I heavily favored the lyrics, some of it was a little too dreary. However, the cut does have its moments such as the drum and glockenspiel combo towards the end, which added some shine to the overall bland of the final number.
Alamalibu is one of those albums that, regardless of the weak finish, is still strong enough to not disappoint. The catchy, fun and unique release is truly a day brightener and can easily be replayed without being tiresome.
In A Word: Fantastic
