What do you get when you cross shredding guitar, groovy bass lines and thunderous drums with lush synth pads, ripping keytar solos and a vocoder? You get the debut album “Sparrow’s Valley” from Ottawa rock outfit Sparrow’s Valley.
The band Sparrow’s Valley comprises Julien LeClair on vocals and lead guitar, Carrie Gauder-Lerer on keys and Keytar, Zac Macdonald on bass and backing vocals, and Nic Saungikar on drums. The group began developing their sound with early singles such as “Amnesty”, an anthemic rock tune with fun riffs and a chorus that gets stuck in your head for days after hearing it.
Sparrow’s Valley would immediately stand out from their contemporaries by featuring such prominent use of synths and keys alongside a vocoder for their song “Breeze”.
We begin our adventure in track 1, the entirely instrumental “flight.” This is a soft and pretty song that slowly lures the listener in. It builds to the end of the track where we slam into track 2, “Borderline”.
“Borderline” is where the story truly begins. At first glance, “Borderline” is a fun, bouncy rock tune that talks about the feeling of being at your wit’s end. The listener is walking along the borderline of having a mental breakdown from life’s overwhelm. Once you delve deeper into the story, we’re actually being introduced to an unnamed protagonist, a man down on his luck who begins to consider a darker life path to provide for his family.
Up next we have “Zombie Apocalypse.” The track is an abrupt switch up into an 80s funky, synth rock tune. Zac immediately grabs your attention with a thumping bass line before the band dives into the song. “Zombie Apocalypse” deals with regret and feeling like you’re being chased by your past decisions, likening the feeling of being chased by your past to a zombie apocalypse. This is also made clear in the bridge where Julien laments “What the fuck did I just say? The fuck did I just do?”
Track 4 brings us “Dreamland.” A dreamy (no pun intended) rock song that begins with hypnotic riffing from lead guitarist Julien. It then expands into a chorus you cannot help but sing along to, with themes about giving in and letting the world slip away. The track deals with acceptance, which is beautifully told through the bands playing and lyrics. As the song works its way to a close, you feel a sense of hope and excitement with the lyrics: “Sleep tight now don’t worry about, what the daylight brings it’ll be alright.”
The title track of the album “Sparrow’s Valley” begins in a much more subdued fashion compared to the previous tracks, however, this doesn’t last long. The track explores feelings of being out of place. Specifically, what happens when you finally reach your destination but it isn’t quite what you expected or hoped for. While this feeling can be disappointing or scary, it can also lead to beautiful new experiences; the track leaves it up to you to decide.
Marking the halfway point of our adventure, we find ourselves at track 6, “Fungus of Answers.” A trippy, progressive rock track that boasts themes of spiritual journeys, self-discovery and individuality alongside unity. What makes this track truly stand out is the use of chromatic scales, flutes and time signatures, which all lead to a spoken word bridge that oozes psychedelia and creativity.
Kicking off the second half of the album is a change of pace in the form of “Cotton Candy Clouds,” an absolutely heartbreaking love song sung by the bassist, Zac. The track features Julien taking a much softer, acoustic guitar role while Carrie takes on the melody with a swirling synth line. The standout moment of this song has to be the chorus. When contrasted with the sweet and loving verses, we are treated to a melancholy switch-up when Zac sings the devastating line: “How do I go back and look her in the eyes when they are so filled with tears?” The chorus is delivered with soft falsettos that flow into powerful belts, driving home the awful feeling of facing someone after you know you’ve hurt them. This piece is a fantastic emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end.
Returning to our regularly scheduled singer, Julien kicks off track 9 “Michigan” with a deceptively soft verse before we are thrown headfirst into one of the heaviest choruses on the album. The lyrical content of “Michigan” is a classic story of homesickness. “Michigan is the beginning of the end,” singer Julien said. While this was in reference to the band’s story behind the album, the track gives off an unfamiliar sense of darkness and certainly points towards a much more sombre tone.
In what can only be described as a polar opposite of the previous track, we have “For You.”
“It’s essentially the most lovey of love songs that I’ve ever written.” said Julien, “It’s just a song about not wanting to waste the time you have with the person you love”. This track exudes an infectious feeling of contentment and love with a chorus that screams out that everything the subject does is “For You.” The entire vibe of the song can almost be described as Shakespearean, with such powerful declarations of passion and love that it feels as though it must be shouted from the rooftops.
As we near the end of the album, Sparrow’s Valley decided to leave no stone unturned. Track 11 “Whiterose,” kicks off with a church organ before settling into an acoustic ballad jam reminiscent of bands such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers or Ween. “Whiterose” feels like a departure from the established sound of Sparrow’s Valley, however, it doesn’t take long to realize that it fits perfectly within the rest of this project. Sparrow’s Valley is a band with a sound that truly cannot be pinned down and this certainly plays a role in their likeability and the curiosity that surrounds them.
Finally, we’ve reached our destination with“This is (not) The End.”
Now, you could listen to this track as many times as you’d like, but you may never come up with a more interesting interpretation of the lyrics as keys-player, Carrie: “This song is about the protagonist coming to the river and essentially speaking to a river spirit. She tells him that he is going to be okay but that he must finish his journey on his own.” The overall message behind this song reflects the theme of the entire album- second chances. With songs like “Borderline” and “Cotton Candy Clouds” discussing mistakes and regret, to songs like “For You” and “This Is (Not) The End” discussing love and redemption, we can see that this project explores the idea of healing in a beautiful and unique way.
This album is a bold and beautiful experience and quite a powerful debut album. With such rich and creative subtext behind every second of every track, you’ll quickly find yourself listening through again and again, as you dissect each word and discover your own meaning for each song.
All of this to say, what better way to spend your day than taking a trip through Sparrow’s Valley?