Sparks’ legion of devoted fans will be delighted to hear about a new album – their 24th – which is released on May 15th. Called A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, it will be available on CD, picture disc and cassette with the digital album too.
From the forthcoming album they’ve already dropped the powerful new single called One for the Ages – a perfectly constructed song with a timeless quality – it shares a similarity in its grand anthemic style and doomy beauty to the lush Edith Piaf (Said it Better) from Hippopotamus (2017). Mark Riley on Radio 6 music played One for the Ages and announced that they have invited Ron and Russell to do a session for the station. Let’s hope that comes to fruition.
The quirky Mael brothers, Ron and Russell may have aligned themselves with the glam-rock era in its time, but they have always felt like outliers, forging an individual path since they launched their career in 1967. I’m endlessly fascinated by a song they recorded back in 1969 called Computer Girl in which nascent ideas about a date and sex with a computer are explored: “Would you like a date with her? Stick an IMB card in her stomach”. With a distinctly raw New-York Velvet Underground/Nico feel, the song displays the skill Sparks have continually displayed for drama and inventiveness.
Sparks have also written the music for a musical feature film called Annette, which will star Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, directed by Leos Caras (Holy Motors). There is also a currently untitled Sparks documentary directed by Edgar-Wright, who previously directed Baby Driver and Spaced.
Sparks head out on a European tour in 2022 – due to several Covid-related date changes, tour dates have been removed from the site.