Sparkle and Fade

Everclear's 1995 album Sparkle and Fade begins with about 10 seconds of solo jangly guitar, followed by a simultaneous shout of "yeah" and the introduction of bass and drums. The sound is huge, due mainly to some impressive guitar over-dubs that plug any gaps that might have been left in the wall of sound, adding complexity and driving the music along. This track, Electra Made Me Blind, is a great opener. The sound is heavy, post-punk grunge, but there's a tinge of pop that keeps things just a little bit friendly.

The next songs, Heroin Girl and You Make Me Feel like a Whore, are heavy, angry and noisy. They're good, but not brilliant. However, in a wonderful example of album sequencing, the next track, Santa Monica immediately reuses the guitar riff from You Make Me Feel like a Whore, retaining much of the feel of that song. However, it begins with a much cleaner, lighter guitar sound, providing an interesting contrast, before building up and developing into a typically heavy Everclear song. Santa Monica is one of the best songs of the 1990s, but the next track on the album is better. Summerland is one of Everclear's more musically interesting offerings and the lyrics - about getting "the hell away from here" and going somewhere where "we could be everything we want to be" - don't pull any punches, using up some of the language warning that is deemed necessary for this album. Summerland also gives the album its title via its closing theme of trying to lose all those negative things in life in the "fall, glimmer, sparkle and fade"...

The rest of the album is more of the same, although it doesn't maintain the level set by Santa Monica and Summerland. Nevertheless, this is an excellent album and I'm surprised at how long it sat on my shelf after 1995 without being played. Singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer Art Alexakis somehow manages to blend pop with very heavy, loud music and actually make it work. The album also features slick production: there are often a lot of guitars in the mix but, rather than combining into a muddy jumble, they've been well thought out so they work together to build a big, interesting sound.

Huge!