The Beachwood Sparks: Beachwood Sparks

Unlike the vast number of bands nowadays that strive for a retro sound, the Beachwood Sparks' main reference point is the largely unmined territory of the Flying Burrito Brothers. And at a time when a band heading in this direction has a tendency to get tagged as yet another "alt-country" act, the Beachwood Sparks have been able to carve out their own niche in today's scene by creating a sound that is distinctly Californian, rather than Southern. The geography of their pop sensibilities is not completely unexpected, considering that among their ranks are former members of notable Los Angeles bands Further and the Lilys (in fact, the Sparks effectively opened for themselves, as they were both the opener and backing band for Kurt Heasley on the Lilys' last tour.) But the real difference between the Sparks and the Flying Burrito Brothers (and their '60s contemporaries like Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds) was summed up recently by bassist Brent Rademaker: "David Crosby and Gram Parsons never got to grow up hearing Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr."

The Sparks' penchant for the spacey and psychedelic gives their self-titled debut a unique feel. It is highlighted by tracks like "Sister Rose" and "Something I Don't Recognize," whose sunny vocals and rollicking melodies give way to a noisy swirl of guitars and organs. On the rare occasion that the album drags, its unique aesthetic rescues it. The country tunes, the droning song snippets, and the pop songs (sometimes reminiscent of another southern California band with "Beach" in its name) are all equally successful, and not always so easily delineated. The three-year wait for the album was well worth it, though. It might be just as long before we hear more from this band, but we'll surely be hearing more about them in no time. (Sub Pop)

—Sam Engel

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