Sparks "Hello Young Lovers"

This is a recent album from the crazy Mael brothers. It is very lushly arranged, with loads of strings and keyboards and stuff counterpointing Russell's perhaps somewhat treated voice. On a first listen or two I was maybe a bit confused by this, but it is something of a grower. One thing I thought about it from the word go – this is not an album by a band who had a big hit 30 years ago and are now content to tread water, chase trends, or plod through rehashes of past greatness. Even if you do not like this record you will have to acknowledge that Sparks are still reaching for the prize.

I remember seeing Sparks on Top Of The Pops in the 1970s, though I did not know their name and just thought of them as that-band-with-the-weird-keyboard-player. Much later I discovered that they were the band Sparks and heard 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us' etc. I think it was Frank's APA Andrew bigging these guys up so much that tipped me over into buying their record (er, my beloved actually bought it, but I made her do it using my psychic powers).