Album Reviews

It’s been 25 years since At The Drive-In called it a day and birthed two new bands: The Mars Volta and Sparta. I honestly never got into The Mars Volta, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the Jim Ward-fronted Sparta. That’s because I start running when I hear words like “jazzy” or “proggy,” whereas melodic post-hardcore is more my thing. And guess what? Sparta’s sixth album, Cut A Silhouette, has plenty of the latter.

Opener “Split Lip” finds Ward, bassist Matt Miller, and drummer Neil Hennessy (The Lawrence Arms) channeling Hot Water Music in the verses and Against Me! in the chorus. The result is a punchy, punky track that gets things going right off the bat.

The Thrice-like combo of “Crater” and the moodier “Mouthbreather,” both co-writes with Frank Iero, makes for two of the album’s highlights. The same can be said of “Everything You Say,” which combines shoegaze-y guitars with post-punk rhythms. “See You Soon” and “Midnight” both see Ward changing pace and could easily be mistaken for Sleepercar songs, another Jim Ward project. The latter might whip up some Coldplay comparisons, which may not be what you’re looking for. Luckily, there’s also the closing track, “Glimmer,” which sounds like a recently unearthed Sensefield song.

There’s a lot to like on Cut A Silhouette, but it would have been even better with a few more muscular songs in the mix.

Cut A Silhouette track listing:

1. Split Lip
2. Crater
3. Mouthbreather
4. Daydream
5. See You Soon
6. Everything You Say
7. Without Your Hands
8. Midnights
9. Mystery Of Missing
10. Glimmer