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Sprawl

Sarah Veladora

IMOJ Records

Guest review by Stephen Sheehan

 

Sprawl is a rock band from Canada. Their website describes them as "post-punk" which is not only incorrect, it is an insult to both punk rock and everything that followed it. Sprawl is neither pre-punk, pop-punk, quasi-punk, neo-punk or even faux-punk. Sprawl is ordinary and not much more. Their songs attempt to use transparent melodies in an attempt to write "catchy" tunes but inevitably the songs all sound like they were written in one setting, probably fueled by a session of chain smoking, cable TV and lite beer. Sprawl sound very "radio-ready" and they probably lie awake at night dreaming of storming onto TRL by flailing in front of the cameras with their "uncontrollable intensity" caused by their "honest songs." If Sarah Veladora is a real person I'd recommend she get a sex change, move to another country and find work as a longshoreman.

back torevhead.gif (1924 bytes)   Posted Dec. 12, 2002. Copyright © 2002 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.



Rating: No

Obligatory pull-quote: "Sprawl is neither pre-punk, pop-punk, quasi-punk, neo-punk or even faux-punk. Sprawl is ordinary and not much more."

 

Tim Says:
What does he know?

Slick Guided by Voices-style rock and roll, and from a bunch of freakin' Canadians to boot. You could diss this as another Pollard-spoogefest, except the music is more influenced by -- than a copy of -- GBV. Sprawl takes their American-as-Brit-pop formula and adds their own unique crunch. Ralph Kircher's low, nasal yowl is sleepy and endearing, like a lovesick computer nerd going on and on about his girlfriend or J Mascus with a coffee buzz. I like the rocking rockers more than I like the rocking ballads (which border on spacey kid's stuff).

Rating: Yes