Between work, life and lockdown from 2019 to 2022, the London-based Indie Pop duo Sparky’s Magic Piano have found themselves turning their unique home surroundings into their very own version of Abbey Road Studios – if that famous space admittedly had a few more bedrooms. Balancing housework and family matters with musical creativity, Marion Turnbull and Oli Bartlett have been putting their synths, guitars and glockenspiel to use within their homes to create a new 11-track LP – ‘Never Twice The Same Colour’ – which is fully comprised of upbeat, concise Brit-Pop tunes. You can hear their results on September 9th via both physical and digital formats.
Building their own Electro-Pop album from the ground up over a number of years, Sparky’s Magic Piano are exploring creative DIY production with a playful indie spirit and a classic rock edge for their new album. The aforementioned release not only marks their most ambitious project yet, but it also marks the long-awaited and highly anticipated end of a lengthy gap between releases since their well-received debut LP, ‘Feel The Beat and Do It Anyway’, made a splash back in 2007.
Commenting on the origins of the new LP, leading lady Marion Turnbull says, “We set out making Never Twice The Same Colour with a goal to make an ambitious rock record, wherever possible not confined by the limits of a home studio. For ‘Someone From There’, I laid down around 30 different violin tracks in the drainpipe and curtains vocal booth to create the orchestra. I had Pet Sounds, Automatic For The People, Rumours in mind – lush orchestration and thick vocals“.
‘Last Supper’ is the latest single to be released from the upcoming album after ‘Hanging For The Bang’, and it captures the essence of their Brit-Pop and Indie Pop influences with its fast-moving electric guitar melodies and soft ephemeral vocals. Telling a narrative of a final date at a cafe that eventually went awry, the Electro-Pop duo nod to classic Brit-Pop acts like Supergrass and Catatonia in their potent blend of pop and rock production, as well as using Synths and electronic production to bring their relaxed tone to the modern age alongside contemporary acts like Haim and The Big Moon. Their upbeat hooks capture the emotions felt in a certain moment with a Summer Indie sound that could easily remind you of The Kooks or Razorlight. It feels like it could have been released in the late 2000’s but it never feels outdated, giving a sense of charm rather than just nostalgia. A lengthy guitar solo rounds off the single, adding even more fuel to the fire and cementing ‘Never Twice The Same Colour’ as a very accessible album worth looking out for.
Words by Jacob Braybrooke
Praise for Sparky’s Magic Piano
“Lashing of very tasty material indeed” – SoundsXP
“Marion’s vocals and that synth do wonders for your psyche” – Dagger Zine
“It’s a smiling, sacred modern pop beauty” – MusicOMH
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