Albums : Yellow Red Sparks : Yellow Red Sparks
Listen To Yellow Red Sparks : Yellow Red Sparks
Who Are Yellow Red Sparks?
All of us struggle. All of us experience pain. All of us feel frustration and confusion. Every single one of us carries the weight of fear, hope and loss. As a result, many of us become living, breathing, overloaded, counterweight backpacks. This is the daily thought process of songwriter Joshua Hanson, son of a lounge-singing mother and a theatrically trained father, who in turn became the genetic catalyst of their combined melancholia. Hanson compels us to look within ourselves for the truth, guiding us as we navigate through our own deepest personal relationships while allowing us to relate to the complexity of where he’s coming from.
Growing up in Yellow Pine, Idaho and eventually relocating to Southern California, Joshua began writing and performing under the solo acoustic moniker, Yellow Red Sparks. He quickly grew a passionate local following and self released an EP on iTunes entitled, "Simply Put ME In YOUR Place”. Since then he has added Goldy (drums and vocals) and Sara Lynn (upright bass, piano, vocals and banjo) as full time members and together, they take Hanson’s songs of heartache and make us want to fall in love.
The band released their first full-length record Yellow Red Sparks on January 29, 2013 which was produced by Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, Flogging Molly), mixed by Grammy award winner, Ryan Hewitt (Avett Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, We Are Scientists), and mastered by multi-Grammy award winner, Brian Lucey (The Shins, Sigur Rós, The Black Keys). On record, the trio successfully weaves the bare roots of songwriting, the rich harmonies of choir and the symphonic arrangements of old film to create a cinematic texture of their own.
With a strong emphasis on lyrical content, Yellow Red Sparks create music with a timeless feel and continues the tradition of providing an open and honest perspective to raw universal emotions that come with the everyday trials of life.
Yellow Red Sparks Review
Whatcha gonna buy me honey?” is the strong first line you hear on the debut from the Yellow Red Sparks that instantly grabs your attention and makes you take notice. The LA indie folk trio is driven by the confident vocals of songwriter frontman Joshua Hanson. His voice is a true blend of Ryan Adams meets Colin Meloy which in my book, makes for an excellent match. There is even some comparison to the tone of Richard Edwards from Margot And The Nuclear So And So’s which would be more obvious if the Yellow Red Sparks traded folk for rock. The eleven songs here on the band’s debut consistently hit emotional chords, strike out with memorable harmonies and have stylistic arrangements that only add to the Yellow Red Sparks strength.
The one piece that really helps the Yellow Red Sparks debut stand tall is the how Hanson sings every line like it is his last. On “My Machine Gun” he pleads desperately “why would you mess with my head” which draws you into the track or in “Monsters With Misdemeanors” when he sings “I’m just sick of the monsters that we chase everyday” the song becomes very easy to identify with. This strong lyrical content consistently offers an honest perspective as song after song just gets in your head.
Another strength of the Yellow Red Sparks debut is its spectacular sound that is the result of Ted Hutt’s (Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, Flogging Molly) production, mixing by Grammy award winner, Ryan Hewitt (The Avett Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers), and the mastering by multi-Grammy award winner, Brian Lucey (The Shins, Sigur Rós, The Black Keys). It also helps that Hanson expanded his once solo moniker to now include permanent members Goldy (drums and vocals) and Sara Lynn (upright bass, piano, vocals and banjo) which completely rounds out the band and gives the songs a true depth like on the layered explosion that can be found toward the end of “A Play To End All Plays.”
Yellow Red Sparks is an easy listen as its timeless appeal will have you coming back for more quickly. It is a record that works in pieces and as one listen – so it plays well for all occasions. The album has everything that I like in a solid debut – great songwriting, honest emotion and songs that just get better after every spin. I already predict that Yellow Red Sparks will end up in The Fire Note Top 50 of 2013!
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