Spark Is A Diamond Try This On For Size

A little praise is in order for Philadelphia's Spark Is a Diamond. The trio's debut record, Try This On For Size, is a mixture of fuzzy noise rock and dancy post-punk (think Death From Above 1979 meets older Thunderbirds Are Now!) topped off with female screamed vocals and a dash of electronica. And here's the shocker: it's not the worst thing ever. Despite being touted as a blend of rock, hardcore, and electronica, this album has little to do with the latter two genres. Yes, Alison Bellavance's nasally screams offer a unique layer to the otherwise melodic tracks, but outside of that, there isn't a second of hardcore influence on this record. And although a few electronic beats surface here and there, their inclusion tends to be either overshadowed, or in the case of a few interludes and the concluding remix track, relatively unnecessary and forgettable. Instead, the majority of the record's content offers a simplistic but enjoyable foundation of dancy drum beats and fuzzy one string guitar riffs. The failure of the band to achieve that aforementioned combination of genres is by no means a letdown, as Try This On For Size's predominantly rock substance is representative of the trio's strongest songwriting characteristic. And let's be honest, we don't exactly want another butchered version of The Shape of Punk to Come on our hands. After a short intro, Spark Is a Diamond locks into their bread and butter combination of energetic drum beats and catchy guitar work with the disc's title track. Rarely does the band stray from their predictable song structures and overall songwriting style, but individual tracks are kept concise, and the band has a knack for turning simplicity into memorable melody. "____ ____ Has a Deathwish" has arguably the album's best guitar riff, displaying guitarist Matt Boylan's ability to both anchor the disc with low end while mixing in higher fret work. And thanks to a beefy recording with much needed low end tones, the basic combination of guitar and drums holds up. It makes one wonder about the fullness of the band's live sound, but it's not an issue on Try This On For Size. However, Spark Is a Diamond still has a few kinks to work out before Try This On For Size can be fully praised. As mentioned before, the electronic influence is at its worst gimmicky and at its best an unnecessary supplement. And despite the band's attention to maintaining a concise songwriting technique (the record clocks in at a very manageable 24 minutes), the band doesn't pack any more stylistic surprises beyond the first track or two. They make a notable effort with a cover of Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It," but beyond the novelty of the opening riff, the song fails to differ from the rest of the record. Finally, lyrics such as, "I Saw your picture on the internet and let me tell you that we're so impressed. Where did you find the time to construct the life that you have online" can be quite difficult to swallow for those that have a mental capacity greater than that of a 13 year old girl. But despite these negative aspects, it's hard to deny that a lot of this album is impressively catchy when they stick to their combination of up-beat drumming and fuzzy guitar work. It has very little to do with anything hardcore or metal related, but Try This On For Size might surprise a few open minded listeners. Bottom Line: Spark Is a Diamond mixes the distorted rock of Death From Above 1979 with the energetic post-punk of Thunderbirds Are Now! to create some surprisingly catchy tunes. The record has some inherent flaws, but just the fact that this record exists and isn't deplorable in every single way is a victory in itself.