REVIEWS:
A very underrated alternative / grunge / glam / pop (or whatever you may want to call them) outfit, Sponge can boast an intriguing frontman in Vinnie Dombrowski and an immensely talented guitar tagteam in Mike Cross and Joey Mazzola. They broke through with their debut album Rotting Pinata, which is in my opinion one of the most underappreciated guitar records and overall songwriting efforts of the last ten years, that featured the classic smash singles "Plowed" and "Molly". Their next one Wax Ecstatic went for a more glam-ish sound more representative of their Detroit, Michigan roots - interestingly enough, it was originally going to be a concept album about drag queens. Afterwards, New Pop Sunday combined singalong pop melodies with more doses of the debut album's guitar sound.
--Nick Karn
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Sponge's debut album is a smashing combination of moody poignance within the often cryptic, bleak lyrics and vocals and guitar chords which always seem to hit in just the right places. The sound overall has a hell of a lot more complexity and majestic power than Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, Creed, Seven Mary Three, Matchbox 20, Lit, or whoever else was popular in the 'alternative' (I despise that word) or 'post grunge' scene have or could possibly ever come up with at their absolute peak. I'd even go as far to say rock legends Nirvana never put together a collection of songs this excellent - In Utero came close, sure, but ultimately it loses the race.
It's indeed a very, very daunting task to top the first half of this album, which features the slow, atmospheric, and watery buildup (coming to a climax with Vinnie Dombrowski's dark yell of, 'I'm naked and I'm wasted' before a technically and emotionally awesome solo) of the opening "Pennywheels", the unsettling lyrics, 'ascending to the sky' chorus and amazingly cool breakdown riffs and solos of "Giants", the poetic, lost in the frozen snow vibe of "Miles", the pure slow grind, aggressive distortion-laced, catchy "Neenah Menasha" and the crunching intensity and dizzying slow middle section hopelessness of the title track, which are all great showcases of this band at their peak - it's no wonder I immediately got excited over their future promise. And this is before the second half, which is where both singles lie, even starts.
The first of these singles, "Plowed", is an excellent example of one of the most amazing chorus and verse hooks this side of "Disarm" - like that fantastic Smashing Pumpkins song, this one has astonishing emotion, and it unfortunately only lasts for two verses clocking in at just over three minutes, making me wish it would last a lot longer. "Drownin'" is another stunning song, one that recreates that desperate feeling of being trapped with nowhere to go, reflected perfectly in the vocals and lyrics, the guitar atmosphere, the overwhelmingly climactic bridge and solo section. The next single, "Molly", is the most intriguing song lyrically (open for interpretation), plus it has a unique chord progression and guitar tone, and a great chorus to boot. "Fields" is a bit weaker than the rest of the tracks (mostly due to its' endless fadeout), but it has some very emotional qualities, and the closer "Rainin'" has an uplifting chorus that leaves a huge impression by sticking in your head long after the album is over, with tight band playing and nice guitar work to end this stellar release.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Quite a few actually consider this to be Sponge's best album (most notably the All Music Guide), but since I was so incredibly hooked by Rotting Pinata throughout a good amount of 1995, I bought this album the day it came out, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. The main reason being is that every trademark feature of the last album is completely gone, replaced by a sound that has a more glam influence and a much less moody, 'depressing, but so emotional and heartfelt it's powerful' feel - the mood is somewhat more upbeat here. I originally gave this album a 6, but the fact is, despite the drastic change in sound, there really aren't any weak songs here - pretty much everything is a pleasure to listen to and very melodic to boot.
The opener "My Purity" is highlighted by a bouncy, fast-paced chorus and "Got To Be A Bore" is pretty catchy with good bass-heavy verses. It's the next song where the total departure really starts in the title track, which is a much more obviously pop number with a rather odd tone in the vocals, lyrics and chorus that take a bit of getting used to, but it's a pretty hard-hitting, entertaining, and cynical look on advertising. "The Drag Queens Of Memphis", meanwhile, is a leftover for the original aborted 'drag queen' concept album, and it's an interesting Motown style piano ballad - a complete 180 from the last album's material. The first half closer, "I Am Anastasia", however, does come somewhat closer to that old sound, especially in the chorus.
"Silence Is Their Drug" has a great sing-along chorus and relies on a solid rhythm to push the song forward (one of the highlights here), and "Have You Seen Mary" again enters piano ballad / stripped down territory, but isn't nearly as successful - compared to "Drownin'" on the first album, it doesn't give off much of a strong impression at all. "My Baby Said" is yet another bass driven, rhythmic tune with saxophone accompaniments that's quite catchy, while "The Death Of A Drag Queen" approaches something that sounds a bit like drama with its' druggy chorus and song structure. The poignant acoustic closer "Velveteen", meanwhile, closes things down. While somewhat in the shadow of their debut, Wax Ecstatic admirably shows Sponge isn't content to drive down the same road twice.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
It was nice to see that these guys are still around, but I still picked this album up with caution due to its' frighteningly 'pop' cover and song titles and wondered if the band had lost something along the way. Not so - apparently the band was fine-tuning their already pretty strong melodic skills between albums, so as a result New Pop Sunday is easily their most accessible release and infectious song collection, and it's also quite a diverse outing, while the Mike Cross-Joey Mazzola guitar duo is also closer to top form again. Some of the lyrics and subject may be a bit awkward for these melodies, but the quality of the songs is still a step up from the last album - they're certainly memorable, and the musicianship is creative.
The opener "My Lackluster Love" turned me off on first listen with the incessant 'la la la la la la's in the chorus and the seemingly banal pop band sound, but like a great melodic song, it slowly dragged me in with its' hook, and it's quite entertaining. "Pollyanna" follows that song up as a catchy tune with a pleasant surprise - the return of the soaring Rotting Pinata-era guitar tone in the chorus and breakdown section. "Live Here Without You", meanwhile, has a beautiful and passionate chorus that's really quite moving, and is one of the major highlights and "1000 Times" is kind of an eerie throwback to an almost mid-80s styled pop song (without the synthesizers) updated for the late 90s with that distinctive guitar sound, and it's infectious. "All American World" continues the excitement with the most majestic and instantly memorable chorus hook with intelligent lyrics, and "Radio Prayer Line" closes the first half as one of the most singable songs with an irresistibly bouncy chorus.
The second half opening title track is also very pleasant with an uplifting feel, while the chorus of "Planet Girls" is ridiculous in a groovy way, plus the song has a great ascending riff in the verses. "When You're On Fire Baby, Roll" has similarly cheezy subject matter but the riff is again pretty much in your face and the chord progression in the chorus is as memorable as the melody itself - a very fun song. "Disconnected" features a horn section to go along with a desperate chorus, and the closing "Lucky" manages to recapture some of the earlier magic of combining atmosphere with emotion and hook, leaving the listener satisfied.
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COMMENTS
Sponge’s third album is their own masterpiece. All of their songwriting is flawless on this record. There is not one bad song on here, and it really is great. It covers topics like abortion and abandonment on the song "radio prayer line", great loss of love on "live here without you" and hot chicks on "planet girls". The songs on here are totally out of this world and unique. Sponge is really one of those bands you look at and say, "Why don’t more people like this band?" They have their own distinct style, kind of like The Who and Rage Against the Machine. Few bands have their own style, and it be a good style, but Sponge does. This has to be THE most underrated album of the 90’s, maybe ever. It is a flawless rock record(except for maybe the opener, which may turn off some people to this great album) period. Sponge could have been the biggest band in the world, if the world had noticed them, but they tragically broke up after this album in 2001. - Doxxman