Track of the Day: The Sparkles – Gowanus
Borne from the ashes of infamous punk band The Tracys, US-based The Sparkles stands up like a bright, shiny sonic phoenix bringing vibrance and energy to the masses. After frontman Dave Klym relocated to the west coast, Larry Mancini (guitar), John Payne (keytar) and Matt Ernst (drums) forged on to create their debut EP The Sparkles – then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Yet, while they went through two years of lockdown, The Sparkles’ spirit was not dampened, and the lads defiantly picked up where they left off. Come with us to dip our toe (metaphorically, of course) in their single ‘Gowanus’.
A brightly coloured sonic tapestry, ‘Gowanus’ takes us back to the days of 90s rock while adding a tinge of the 80s synth-pop in the mix. Tuning into old-school pop-rock tunes, ‘Gowanus’ combines bold guitars, pounding drums and underlying synths making their sound unique. I remember twirling about to songs by Green Day and Blink 182 back in the day, and The Sparkles immediately sparks that desire to jump about with a grin on my face. One element I find intriguing is how all instruments, including the rich vocals, have prominence but come together as a whole in the well-layered arrangement.
Inspired by their crossing of the notoriously polluted Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, The Sparkles wrote this “little surf punk ditty”. Co-writer Larry Mancini shares that “the fumes from the Gowanus wafted into our brains causing a mild psychosis…”, and ‘Gowanus’ is the resulting song. I don’t know if I could call the track profound or deep considering it’s light-hearted making fun of the Canal, but I do call it an intensely laidback bundle of laughs. A summer banger perfect to lift you up when you feel down.
In addition to the single, The Sparkles released an official music video for ‘Gowanus’. You can view it below or on their YouTube Channel.
For more from The Sparkles check out their Instagram and Spotify.
