Best Of Friends. Sparkle*Jets U.K.

Before I read the words coming with my digital copy of Best Of Friends, my review would have gone along these lines. Beware, it is going to be a bit stranger than this.

Sparkle*Jets U.K. release an album containing a host of songs that all sort of sound familiar but are not. Their joyful and bouncing songs all seem to have been written with a particular hero of the band in mind, played in that style to (near) perfection. All songs could have been an unknown leftover from a famous band's recording session, that was discarded for unknown yet totally unjustified reasons. Sparkle*Jets U.K. does its name so right as almost all of these songs shine like they have been polished in your grandma's style to perfection. Feel free to go hunting for your 60s and 70s heroes yourself. I'm sure you'll identify them.

And then I read the bio. Sparkle*Jets U.K. is actually covering songs by befriended bands from the L.A. region. Best Of Friends contains "covers of underground classics by their friends from the turn-of-the-century Southern California power pop scene (Wondermints, The Sugarplastic, Cockeyed Ghost, Stew and many more)", it reads in the bio. Now, there's not a song I knew before, so I have no clue as to how close Sparkle*Jets U.K.stays to the original of their cover versions. In other words I'm listening to covers of songs that could have been an unknown leftover. Like I already wrote, things do get a little weirder.

Promo photo

Sparkle*Jets U.K.? This is an L.A. band. so what's with the U.K.? Mysteries all over, but when all has been said, done and puzzled over, a very simple conclusion remains: Best Of Friends is a fun album, filled with sparkling songs that shine and shine.

Sparkling*Jets U.K. is a trio that releases its first album in two decades. With vocalist/guitarist Susan West, bassist Jamie Knight, and singer/multi-instrumentalist and drummer Michael Simmons musically the band is in good hands while vocally it's even great. Best Of Friends reminds me of a band like Swag and its 2001 album 'Catch All'. Albums filled with high quality pop songs that brings other music to mind constantly, while sailing to the highest levels of musicality.

There is no merit in picking out individual songs. In all the styles that come by on Best Of Friends Sparkle*Jets U.K. simple reaches for the best as if it does not cost any effort. Seldom has a band lived up to its name as this one and yes, the songs seem to become great friends with ease as well.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Best Of Friends here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/best-of-friends