INDISCREET

After two successful releases, which both spawned a few hit singles, it was inevitable that Sparks would start to decline in both quality and popularity sooner or later. Unfortunately this decline came much earlier than anyone would expect and the lukewarm response from the mainstream audience became obvious with the release of Indiscreet.

The album doesn't seem all that different from their previous releases at first but the long term growth potential is clearly not there. On a plus side, Indiscreet might be considered the most consistent offering from Sparks in the '70s, meaning that the songwriting almost never reaches the higher tops but it doesn't drop below average either. This is of course isn't much consolation for the fans especially after somewhat of a streak that Sparks had going for them.

I always got the feeling Russell Mael sounded uninspired on this album, as if he had something better to do and only recorded the album as part of the obligation to various parties. One major difference with Indiscreet is that it doesn't begin with an explosive intro number that would kick the album in the right direction. Hospitality On Parade is a great song but far from any of the openers both before and even after it. If I had my say then I would much rather see a track like In The Future start the album, but I wasn't even born when that decision was made, so there's always that excuse.

On the whole, Indiscreet is a forgettable album that passes by almost unnoticed. There is literally not a single composition here that I feel is worth revisiting, which might explain why I rarely listen to this album. Give it a go if you're a huge fan of the previous releases and feel that you want to hear more from the band's '70s output, but don't expect anything spectacular.

**** star songs: Hospitality On Parade (3:58) Happy Hunting Ground (3:44) Under the Table With Her (2:19) The Lady Is Lingering (3:40) In The Future (2:12) Miss The Start, Miss The End (2:46)

*** star songs: Without Using Hands (3:19) Get In The Swing (4:08) How Are You Getting Home? (2:56) Pineapple (2:44) Tits (4:56) It Ain't 1918 (2:07) Looks, Looks, Looks (2:35)