Sparkler is an interesting concept, an album of rare and unreleased songs assembled to be sold to benefit the Judeo Christian Outreach Center, a homeless shelter in Virginia Beach. Like most compilation albums, Sparkler has its high points and low points, with a surprisingly greater amount of high points.
The third song, by a band called Elysian Skies, sounded exactly like Fold Zandura, right down to the vocals. Coincidence or track listing error? I'm not sure, but since I liked both songs, I'll pass on stirring up a controversy. The best songs on this disc are the songs by Bloomsday, Exeter Flud, and the Champion Birdwatchers.
If you're looking for a good introduction to some interesting Christian bands, then I would seriously look into getting this disc. Hey, besides, it's for the homeless kids, right?
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #20Reviewed by Derek WalkerWorthwhile compilations are an endangered beast these days. The consumer is usually treated to three or four beneficial tracks by well-known bands and bombarded by filler when it comes to the rest of the album. Sparkler Vol. 1 is not one of those albums. It's a great benefit album, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Judeo Christian Outreach Center, a homeless shelter in Virginia Beach.…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydI'm not a big fan of compilations but this one made me sit up and take notice. It's a mixture of better known and indie bands. What makes it of interest is that it includes what appear to be the original demos of songs by a number of the better known Christian alternative bands -- Dime Store Prophets, Poor Old Lu, and Squad 5.0. It also includes a new song by Soulfood 76 and the vinyl version of…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Josh SpencerSparkle, sparkle. This is definitely one of the better compilations out there, with a generous 18 tracks by a good mix of known and unknown bands. It's actually a re-release of the indie version from last year, with a couple of tracks changed. Most of the inclusions here are odd men out--either unreleased, from a demo, from vinyl, or live--although some album tracks are included also. It's…
