MAD! by Sparks – Album Review
By Ellie Victor
Sparks have been dabbling in glamour, acrimony, and synthetic melodrama since the Seventies, yet with MAD! – their (gasp) 28th studio album – they still hit you sideways. And for a duo pushing eighty, they’ve never sounded more agile.
‘Do Things My Own Way’ kicks things off with uncompromising defiance: squalling guitars and candy‑cane synths crash into a mantra-like refrain. It’s melodic minimalism as maxim: no chorus, just a repeated riff and Russell Mael’s sprechgesang urging “do things my own way.” It’s less “dancefloor starter” and more “dancefloor declaration.”
By contrast, single ‘JanSport Backpack’ is pure Sparks-crafted time distortion: a jaunty synth breeze that feels both retro‑futuristic and nostalgic, as a mundane accessory becomes a symbol of love evaporating. Dulled multi-tracked vocals descend like a faded marquee, before swelling into triumph. “She wears a JanSport backpack,” Russell drones – it’s at once absurd and heartbreakingly vivid.
‘Hit Me, Baby’ shimmies with bravado and childlike ad-libs of “la‑las” and “babies.” This one surges forward – drums pounding, synths doom-laden – like a shrug to a world that demands more seriousness.
Sparks, 2025
image: Munachi Osebugu
“Cinematic flair”
Then comes ‘My Devotion’, the album’s tender heart – a rare Sparks ballad, charging with an ’80s electro pulse. Russell’s yearning is earnest: it could be a homage to love, obsession—or even die‑hard fandom. Either way, it lands with surprising sincerity amid the trademark eccentricity.
‘In Daylight’ is widescreen, anthem-ready: its message is simple (“everybody looks great at night – be impressive in daylight”), but it grooves with cinematic flair. It’s slick art‑pop with embedded confidence.
Then there’s ‘A Little Bit of Light Banter’, arguably the album’s secret weapon: like a tongue-in-cheek homage to Chas & Dave’s unheard electro period. It shuffles along with cheeky energy, gentle melodies and clever lyrical diversion – exactly the kind of sly cultural pick-up Sparks excel at.
Finally, ‘Lord Have Mercy’ ties a bow on the album. It’s grand, hymn-like – Schlager crossed with rock‑god swagger. A guitar solo, held‑lighter lyrics, ambiguous sincerity: perfection if a subversive boyband were to cover it.
“Sincerity with subversion”
Sparks have always relished the banal – jackets, highways, backpacks – and turned them into gleaming vignettes. MAD! finds them revitalising that approach for a messier era. Lyrical curiosity + synthpop + art‑rock remains their alchemy.
Stylistically they’re all over the place – and precisely by design. The opener stalks like cabaret punk, mid‑album tracks shift from rock to pastoral reflection, others mix sincerity with subversion. It’s dizzying, but unified by the Maels’ brittle wit.
With MAD!, Sparks prove they’re far from pastiche. Instead, they offer a masterclass in maintaining creative mischief. It isn’t their sharpest album – and anyway, to these ears, they’ve always trodden a fine line between irritating and inimitable – but it’s still full of hooks, laughs, and pulses of feeling.
A sleek art-pop antidote for a manic world.
7.5/10
Ellie has spent over three decades dissecting riffs, rhythms, and rockstar egos, all in pursuit of the perfect review. Her music writing journey began at 12 with a glowing 10/10 diary entry for Echo and the Bunnymen, and she’s been chasing that high ever since. Armed with encyclopaedic knowledge and a soft spot for the sonically daring, Ellie will review anything that’s put in front of her – as long as it’s on vinyl.
