With the recent release of her sophomore effort Under This Yellow Sun, Tori Sparks pushes a sensual, sophisticated style and brings an impressive array of lyricism, commanding vocals and rhythmic energy.
With her roots relocated to Middle Tennessee, Sparks delivers a pure and warm sound, captivating the listener with her bluesy-soulful style and melodic arrangements. The record reveals more than just a sexy, sultry songwriter with a solid range of vocal performance; she actually strays away from the typical pop material that plagues the radio waves. Her roots-rockin’ feel only helps channel her various lyrical themes, ranging from tales of being knocked down and rising up again to learning how to cope with fears and stresses of life and relationships.
Spark’s vocals are reminiscent of Crissie Hynde from The Pretenders, mixed with Margo Timmons from the Cowboy Junkies and Natalie Merchant, pushing her sultry, raw, emotional lyrics to the point of no return.
For an acoustic alternative album, Sparks lets go of the typical restraints of the singer-songwriter stigma to a new level of captivating energy. This high level of emotion is obvious in the first track of the album, “Cold War,” as she tries to break through a wall of cold stares and fleeting glances of love, hoping to recover from the lack of emotional rescue. Lines such as Don’t call these bloody knuckles bad luck/Call them battle scars reveal Sparks’s tough spirit and true grit, and she believes if waiting is a weapon/I got the magic bullet.
The songs feature carefully textured layers of rhythm and percussion and pull together styles from a number of genres, ranging from blues-driven rock to a modern jazz feel. Her songwriting is enthusiastic and brilliant, while her guitar-playing capabilities are top-notch.
Produced by David Henry, who has worked the likes of R.E.M., Ben Folds and the Cowboy Junkies, UTYS has an atmosphere that is strikingly raw yet delicate around the edges, creating the prefect paradox of emotional unrest. Sparks may seem familiar at times, but her vocals and blend of folk and blues is beyond impressive. Through her songs of tragedy, personal identity, and tales of finding self-worth, the artist shows she has been given the gift of sight, allowing her lyrics and beautiful vocal stylings to reveal the true nature of real-life relationships. She makes me want to grab hold of life, take a breath and push my boundaries to find my inner self. This album is not only sexy, beautiful, and enticing, but Sparks shows something that many artists forget—the truth.
