For those unfamiliar with them, Sparkadia is yet another Aussie band – this one from Sydney – and their second studio album is a euphoria of sound that continues to prove that there’s some real talent in the Land Down Under. From the subdued, almost Bono-esque vocals of lead singer Alex Burnett to the 60′s-groove-stylings peppered throughout this offering – which could perhaps be best described as being akin to Wolfmother without the hard edge and psychedelia – this 12-track album carries a very easy-going vibe to it, which I find most refreshing. That said, a few of the tracks contain explicit language, and the best example of this would be the track Hurt Me – “good souls like you don’t deserve a**holes like me”.

Sparkadia is labelled as a pop band, and it most certainly shows in their work. However, don’t let the word “pop” dissuade you from giving them a listen, because The Great Impression is full of surprises. This isn’t the cheesy-sounding mainstream pop that you would hear from periods like the late 90′s, a-la Aqua and their atrociously catchy Barbie Girl. This is alternative pop for a new decade. Frankly, I’d like to see more alternative bands take a note or two from Sparkadia’s book (assuming that’s not already the case) because their sound is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable fusion of music and lyrics that seems to carry slight influences of U2′s early work. It may not be everybody’s slice of alt-pop heaven, but this album is sure to leave an impression.

Caley Bethune

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It’s been a long time coming, just over 9 months to be exact; but finally 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs is back with a new single simply entitled ‘Ordinary Man’.

The song was written by One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder (responsible for Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love) and newcomer Nicholas RAS Furlong. Despite this, the song suits Altiyan perfectly. This is perhaps why it was chosen as the follow up to the 2010 smash ‘Somewhere In The World’ over Altiyan’s original songs.

‘Ordinary Man’ has a lot of pop sensibilities about it. Yet with the addition of Altiyan’s voice and the use of a piano and a distinct drum baseline, it becomes blurred between both pop and rock.  It is also one of those rare songs that can literally trip you up when you really pay attention to the lyrics. Lines such as the opening “I don’t have Mozart’s talent, I don’t have Shakespeare’s hand…” are nothing if not absolutely beautiful. The same can be said of the phrase ‘It’s Winter in January”. They are like poetry and truly show the writing prowess of Tedder and Furlong.

The song seems to have one clear theme – the power of love. Love is what Altiyan preaches per se, so there is nobody else who could  do this song the justice it deserves. The song speaks of an ordinary man, which is what Altiyan describes himself as; who is greatly impacted by love, to such an extent that the love experienced provides an extraordinary feeling from within. The song truly could not fit Altiyan anymore perfectly than if he had written it himself.

Beyond that though, the song means different things to different people. But at the heart of the matter is love. But there are many kinds of love – not just that which plays out within the lyrics of this particular song.

Forget everything that has happened to Altiyan in the last 9 months because ‘Ordinary Man’ is anything but.

Available now thru ITunes & Bandit.fm

Maggie Sapet

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If you’re looking for something a little different to add to your CD collection then you’ve certainly got to give Fun Machine’s new EP Desert Creatures a listen. There are very few EPS out there that seem to create as much energy as this one does.

Unfortunately Fun Machine begin on a dud note with a woeful start ‘Wiahita’ but that soon gives way to a virtual punk sound that shows these guys (and gals) really do know how to rock. ‘Toxic’ is sadly the worst track on the album, to be blunt it sounds like a poor man’s Grates… but luckily it is all gems from then on.

The catchy pop sound of ‘Coming With Muskets’ with win over a few fans while the fun little duet ‘lol’ got several plays while I was listening to the album. The closing track ‘Ahte’ however is an absolute gem. It’s raw intensity tells you that you must go and see Fun Machine live.

There maybe some misses but Desert Creatures is well worth a listen.

Dave Griffiths

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