Threes
Sparta combine the quirky elements of indie rock--unusual start-stop riffs and guitar skwonks--with anthemic choruses and surprisingly uplifting melodies, emerging with an uplifting and intelligent form of arena rock. The band also gets its prog on with the moody "Unstitch Your Mouth," a track that calls to mindThe Wall-era Pink Floyd as much as it recalls anything heard in VFW halls and blaring from dorm rooms today, and "Atlas," which could easily be an outtake from Radiohead'sOK Computer. That's not to say that Sparta's sound doesn't have a sense of originality. Much ofThrees--the sonic maelstrom "Untreatable Disease," the epic "The Most Vicious Crime," and the made-for-the-stage, U2-esque "Weather the Storm"--proves that this is a band to watch, one that other acts will look to in the future for inspiration.Threesisn't a classic album--there are some moments that need trimming on some of the record's latter tracks and the quartet could stand to mask its influences more often--but the 12-song collection does demonstrate that Sparta are in the rock & roll game for the long haul.--Jedd Beaudoin