‘Believe In Time’ is the latest release from Liverpool based quartet SPARKWOOD & 21. It follows on from 2009s ‘By The Water’s Edge’, and is their debut recording for the Modest Means imprint.
There are nine tracks on the album, which racks up at just over thirty minutes in length. All songs fall within the country/folk/Americana genre. The opening track ‘Another Year’ is a really great starter, with some cool blues-y harmonica work, and some epic orchestration which brings to mind The Byrds, or early REM circa ‘Reckoning’ (which some will argue was their greatest period).
The guitar arpeggios definitely add to this similarity, however the vocal, are nice and easy, laid back with some brilliant harmonies. The lyrics are delivered in a way that suits the imagery: “You see it in his heart, desire to find/ Such a warm and gentle place, where you could hide.” However the chorus gives another slant on what would initially appear to be a love song: - “I’m not the one you thought I was, toast another year… It’s all over now.”
In fact relationships and more specifically what appear to be difficulties or differences in relationships figure highly in the lyrical content throughout the album, for example in ‘Senses’, a lovely country flavoured guitar track: - “Tell me when you come to your senses, tell me please coz I’m at my wits’ end.” And the lovely line full of accusation mixed with irony: -
“You don’t know me, you don’t own me. You don’t know me, any more than I do.”
Whilst there are some excellent slower songs, like the ballad, ‘The Lake’, the songs on the album that I preferred were the more up tempo, such as ‘Colours Fade’, an upbeat country style track which goes against the more downbeat tone of the lyrics, which here have a really good effect: - “So here I stand now, wearin’ worn out shoes and a faded smile/ As the rain keeps fallin’ better part of my heart dies.”
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‘Night’ is another faster paced track that grabs the listener, despite having a guitar riff very similar to The Who’s ‘Substitute’. The album closes with two tracks that are as diverse as they are brilliant, firstly the brooding ‘All That Remains’, with sound effects that make this a masterpiece, and lyrics that reference our deepest thoughts: - “Oh, my love how can I tell of the dark and lonely fears?/ That haunts my thoughts through the waking hours, and steals me from you now.”
Finally, the album bows out with ‘Evermore’, a really touching country style song that is an epic tragedy, you can almost feel the ache and sadness in the vocals here: - “To hear you talk one more time. What I would give just for your touch/ Faintest trace on my skin.”
I thought that this was a really good album, and hopefully if the band can build upon this, their popularity should grow and spread. On the strength of this, they deserve some recognition.
Buy Believe in Time from the Sparkwood & 21 website
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