SYDNEY SPRAGUE - Somebody In Hell Loves You

Just under thirty-two minutes for Sydney Sprague's second album, a collection of eleven songs that confirms the talent of the Phoenix, Arizona native and keeps attention fixed on one of the most promising figures in the American indie-rock scene. Effective pop surges (“Overkill”) and spirited dance-rock episodes (“Isob”) make a solid calling card for a record that tries to shake up the gilded, star-studded mainstream productions, blending the energy of pop-rock with lyrics and sounds that carry a certain substance.

Sydney Sprague proves she is adept at crafting catchy riffs (“Data Analysis”) and bittersweet songs that pit the bitterness of the lyrics against the roar of the guitars and a rhythmic fury (“If I’m Honest”). The only flaw of “Somebody In Hell Loves You” is that it constantly wavers between the guitar-pop of Avril Lavigne (“Smiley Face”) and certain emo-rock temptations already flaunted on the debut (“God Damn It Jane”, “Nobody Knows Anything”). This ambiguity, combined with the lack of a real artistic identity, risks relegating the talented songwriter to a supporting role in an ever-expanding contemporary landscape.

The best ideas on Sydney Sprague's second album surface toward the end of the tracklist, first with the shifting interplay of refrain and melody in the elaborate, spirited “Hello Cruel World”, then with the intriguing folk-pop tinged with electronics and dream-pop variations of “Sketching Lessons”. Both tracks confirm her ability to navigate the perilous joys of pop and rock without ever falling victim to tedious clichés.

“Somebody In Hell Loves You” may not have all the right answers about the fate of pop and rock music, but it at least offers thirty minutes of undemanding lightness.

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07/01/2024