7 out of 10A couple years ago a little-known band called Drakes Hotel released their (official) debut full length album "Tell Me Everything", it was, and (still) is slightly off the radar but really does deserve a lot more attention. Drakes Hotel consists of two core members; Amy Drake, who's voice is sometimes comparable to a young Siouxsie Sioux, and Chris Y., who mixes top notch Grunge/Shoegaze guitar fx with dark keyboard sounds and drumming that keeps the tempo upbeat. 2009 marks the return of this "unexposed" duo with their follow up album "Sparks That March". Shoegaze/Dream Pop fans take note, you will be hearing more about Drakes Hotel in the future..
"Sparks That March" is an album with simple (but effective) attributes; nicely layered vocals, catchy guitar riffs, upbeat drumming, and hints of exuberant/reverberated filler noise. On "Tell Me Everything" it seemed the duo were going for an "orthodox" Shoegaze approach, with "Sparks That March" they shift gears a little by adding more Alt/Indie-Rock elements. I do think that fans of their previous work will be ok with the shift as it seems their overall sound has been "tightened". If I had one complaint it would be that there aren't enough tracks like the ending track "Goodwill Key". The layered keyboard sounds and drum machine beats definitely set a standard for great Indie-Gaze/Opaque Pop music. Overall though, I would recommend this album to anyone into "darker" sounding Indie music, or "Rock-ier" sounding Shoegaze.
Next time your ears are in need of a vacation from all the redundant pop music out there check into Drakes Hotel, your stay will be satisfying and refreshing.
Standout Tracks: Skyscraper, Ever Wearing Oars, Old Machine New Technology, Continental, Goodwill Key (my favorite track)
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