Everclear Album: “Sparkle and Fade”

Description :

Everclear: Art Alexakis (vocals, guitar); Craig Montoya (vocals, bass); Greg Eklund (vocals, drums). Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin in September 1994. All music written by Everclear. All lyrics written by Art Alexakis. If rock music was a logical equation, Everclear would be to the Slacker stagnation what Creedence Clearwater Revival was to the Vietnam era. Strewn with references to a wasted, self-proclaimed "white trash hell," Everclear's grunged out roots rock brings it all back home without a trace of pretention. And much like the underrated CCR, Everclear could easily be perceived as a southern-fried bar band. Their second full-length album, SPARKLE & FADE, is deceptively simplistic. Littered with three-chord diddies and face-level lyrics, Everclear's honesty could be mistaken for laziness. There's something primal about their approach to describing the terrifying vacancy in their world. Singer/guitarist Art Alexakis crafts blunt, yet accurate descriptions of the glorified casualties of the Gen X hype in all its apathy and destruction. A time piece of '90s countercultrue, SPARKLE AND FADE is painted in grim tones but is strangely hopeful in the end. Alexakis writes the believable tale of the underdog and describes the landmarks he sees on the way. Girls with "two pierced nipples and a black tattoo," or "heavy with her monster boots," dominate the scenery along with even sadder tales. "I heard the police say 'just another overdose'" mingles with "you tie your arm and ask me if I want to drive." SPARKLE AND FADE betrays something numbing and tragic, something vacant and lost. But like the deep misery of the blues and great soul music, it's done with enough conviction and perseverance that the effort brings joy in the end.

I bought this CD after hearing "Santa Monica" on the radio back in 1995. I think this is a great CD, "Santa Monica", "Summerland" and "The Twistinside" are my favorite songs. I couldn't wait for their next release, I found "So Much For The Afterglow" to be just as awesome. Everclear puts a lot of feeling in their songs and these boys can rock! I can't wait for their next CD to be released, I'm definately adding it to my collection.

"Sparkle and Fade" is the high point of Everclear's career and one of the very best (maybe THE best) albums of the '90s. It's full to bursting with amazing melodies and moving lyrics, and performed with blistering intensity. Not a word or note is misplaced. The only thing missing is the playfulness and experimentation of Everclear's later, more eclectic records-- this is straight-ahead, meat-and-potatoes rock. But it's so expertly written and played, so colorful and vital, it's hard to find any room for improvement. I can't recommend this album enough.

A while back, I purchased "So Much For The Afterglow". I loved it so much I decided to buy their older album Sparkle And Fade. I was certainly not dissapointed. This leaves So Much in the dust, with catchy tunes like Heroin Girl, Santa Monica, and You Make Me Feel Like A Whore. I realized that So Much was pop...and this was alternative with raw emotion. Strawberry made my friend cry. Sorry if Im too talkative for you, but its worth every penny!

I'm not much for hyperbole or exaggeration, but this cd is one of the best albums, in my mind, out there. "Sparkle and Fade" recounts the life of a former drug addict, poor and without hope, living a tragic life. The CD has a depressing overtone, but that does not consume it, or taint the music. It's both heartfelt and emotional, without being overbearingly so, and is an album in which the listener can feel the emotion through the music. Produced when grunge rock was popular, it is similar to the genre but wholly different. While songs such as "Heroin Girl" and "Electra Made Me Blind" are heavy and guitar driven, other songs, such as "Santa Monica" are slower paced and have a more mellow feel. This CD is nearly flawless, each track is a great song. The standouts, however are "Heroin Girl", a rage filled song about the death of a lover to heroin, "Queen of the Air", an emotional song about his mother's suicide, "Santa Monica", about leaving home for the West Coast, and the best of all is the classic "Summerland" a song about escaping his former life and starting anew. Overall, an outstanding album, and a must listen for anyone who is a fan of rock.

I bought this album some years ago. Working in a record store meant that I heard many albums before the break-through single was released and they were climbing the charts, so for a summer, this was an undiscovered gem that I played daily. Then, 'Santa Monica' came out, and the rest is history. Though later albums by the band were seemingly crafted to be radio hits, this one was raw, volatile, and unrelenting.

With a certain Pacific Northwest chic, Everclear rips through the archetypical rock topics of sex, drugs, and desperation, the band lays down thick grunge riffs without slipping into hardcore mode; as a result the record retains a certain approachability- think of the pop they later embraced minus the sell-out factor.

In other words, it's loud enough to make you want to jump in the pit, but catchy enough for people who usually prefer something a little more tame to keep on this list of albums to rock out to.