A quintessential example of the powerpop genre, the only thing that pegs Spklanng! as a contemporary record instead of some swell nugget from the 70's or 80's is just a slightly more rocking attitude. But the tunes and chops that comprise the foundation of this disc are well-established. And when a band delivers the goods with the enthusiasm displayed here�let's just say that while The Supers may not end up in my year end Top 20, I'm absolutely certain I'll be playing it 10 years from now.
Which is another way of saying there is some timeless stuff on this puppy. Who could get tired of an instantly winning tune like "I Don't Want To Sleep", which has a bouncy pub-rock (Brinsley Schwarz/Squeeze) rhythm and a deft ascending and descending melody that smacks of Badfinger and Myracle Brah. The song is almost one extended hook. This mellow bliss is followed by the snappy mod rocker "So Many Crooks" that hearkens back to The Jam and Dirty Looks, but with a much sweeter chorus than you'd associate with those 80's stalwarts. And a few tunes traverse Gin Blossoms territory (i.e., solid medium tempo pop-rock), such as "Secret".
The playing and singing are uniformly swell. Fine lead vocals (bassist Maury Lafoy and guitarist Graham Powell share the duties), fine backing vocals, fine ensemble sound (Jeffrey Macpherson's crisp drumming is a particular treat) - what's not to like? Hmmm�..well, even though the production is equally fine, I wouldn't mind if the guitars were beefed up a bit more in the mix on a few tracks, which is probably more indicative of my mindset than anything remotely resembling a flaw.
So I'll hit Track 8, and bliss out to the loping "Even Fools", with its extremely slight country rhythm and a McCartneyesque melody, marveling that they can find a fresh take on the "Tears Of A Clown" lyrical theme: "I've been tryin' to make you smile/but now I'm cryin' out your name/and as you slapped me in the face/a jester took my place." The Supers are pure pop for everyday people.
