A trio comprising a Welshman, a Scotsman and an Irish woman sounds like the start of a bad joke but just so happens to be the basis of a band that combines old school Indie rock with the dark side of sixties pop.
The third album from the Glasgow-based band centres on the sweet yet mildly venomous vocals of Jill O'Sullivan. Her American accent is explained by the fact that, although she was born in Belfast, she grew up in Chicago. She is backed by Nick Packer (guitar, bass) and the lone Scot Gregor Donaldson (drums).
Their most interesting songs are those which are more understated and ambiguous like the opener Valley of Death and the quietly menacing Water Won't Fall. Here the rage is all the more sinister through being controlled. By the side of these, songs like Shock Shock and the title tune sound much more conventional.
On The Glue That Binds Us vengeful lines like "I don't like you anyway and I don't need you in my life" are only really effective on the first couple of listens.
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What their press release calls their "scuzzy snarl" does have its place on the slow building Odessa where O'Sullivan's disdainful drawl sounds a bit like Lana Del Ray.
This punkier edge is even better demonstrated on Darkness and The Faster You Spin. The anger behind the latter is evident in the wonderfully cynical video depicting politicians as cheap prostitutes.
Ultimately this is an album that promises more than it delivers but their murderous pop is still above average and well worth a listen.
Sparrow & the Workshop's website
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