Sparta - Breaking theBroken

Tue 20th Jul, 2004 in Music Reviews

Breaking the Broken heralds a new era for Sparta.

As the first single released from their Porcelain album, it is the band’s first love song and exemplifies their recent approach to use vocalist Jim Ward as primary lyricist. A good decision, it would seem. The “live” sound that Geffen Records set out to capture with Porcelain definitely suits this particular track.

The track hits the ground running with solid guitar cascades and Ward’s raw vocals which are perfect for love in rock’n’roll. It continues to build chorus by chorus until we reach the bridge when the whole sound is stripped right back.

In my mind, this subdued bridge is the highlight of the song. The Porcelain album explores dualities of text and tone. The contrast presented in this particular bridge solidifies the reflective nature of the song and emphasizes the tender lyrics; “I wouldn’t trade what I’ve got, not for anything, not for anything.” We catch a glimpse of the true emotion motivating the rock and afterwards, the chorus is given a new meaning.

This song has a definite “soundtrack to my life” feel to it. I immediately imagine people slamming doors and turning up the rock to find solace in an empty bedroom. If it doesn’t appear on a film soundtrack, the industry is losing it.