Sparta - Porcelain

Thu 5th Aug, 2004 in Music Reviews

It’s gotta be hard being a member of Texan four-piece act Sparta. Rising from the ashes of one of the last decade’s most explosive punk/experimental/rock acts is a hard act to follow.

If you haven’t already heard the spiel, it all started in 1994 when At the Drive In formed, with the lethal combination of Cedric, Omar (vocals) Jim Ward (guitar) Paul Hinojos (bass) and Tony Hajjar (drums). After an all-too-brief whirlwind of critical acclaim and a huge fanbase, the band announced a (seemingly perpetual) creative hiatus in 2001. Not missing a beat, Ward took over the role of vocals to reform Sparta and enlisted Hajjar, Hinojos (now playing guitar) and fellow Texan, Matt Miller to take over bass.

Sparta released their first longplayer, Wiretap Scars, in 2002. It earned them some underground cred from At the Drive In fans and paved the way for the ambitious newie Porcelain. Now, along with ATDI comparisons, Sparta have to compete with being measured up to the Mars Volta team (formed by Omar and Cedric).

Porcelain is, on a whole, not a bad record. Some tracks will have you tapping along, others will touch the more sensitive (yet still reasonably angry) side in you. In this reviewer’s opinion however, the band have let themselves down. Rare glimpses of experimentalism are quickly doused by the manufactured punk/power rock formula, resulting in a monotonous theme by the ninth song.

The first track title, Guns of Memorial Park, leads you to anticipate a political rant of some sort. Something you can get passionate about, scream along, wave a fist – that type of thing. Instead, the lyrics are rooted comfortably in emo territory: “When the summer got sterile with books and minds/we found this time/we’ll head for a forest/to a river of truth,” and so on. Actually, taken out of context, it looks more like the framework for a ‘70s folk song.

Hiss the Villain is more of an aural assault. The band definitely present their punk flavourings in this track. Ward’s multitracked vocals here also lend something a bit different from the formula. While Oceana Sleeps is much more controlled: the guitar sounds more electro than rock band as it ticks its way through the verse. Although, having anticipated a climax, the chorus is somewhat of a letdown.

On the other hand, Death in the Family is a real strong point. Some impressive guitar work from Hinojos seperates this track from others – which tend to slide into similar (marketable) territory. Full of energy and showing some impressive instrument mastery, it’s surprising this track isn’t being pushed as a single. Incidentally, Breaking the Broken is the track currently on Triple J’s Net 50 and sounds suspiciously similar to ATDI – that is, all disjointed with soaring guitars and earnest vocals.

Tensioning appears to be the wild card here: some very Radiohead-esque drum loops eventually drowned out by guitar. P.O.M.E. is great from a drummer’s point of view -just under 50 seconds of drum solo. It’s recorded (interestingly) completely in stereo and is generally pretty damn impressive. Once again, it’s a drum enthusiast thing. Another token track like this pops up with Synscope, which is very minimalist – another short recording of some very atmospheric guitar.

Porcelain, although clearly showcasing some awe-inspiring musicianship, will probably leave you with the feeling that something hasn’t quite been uncovered. It’s almost tragic, because there are so many hints at genius on this record, yet they simply have not been exploited. These guys clearly have the enthusiasm, talent and creativity to take things further. Let’s hope the next album does just that.