Search - Buffseeds :: Sparkle Me

What if you found love?

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 02/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"U.K. indie band the Buffseeds are only just coming onto the music scene, but their debut EP "Sparkle Me" is a pretty solid first release. With a few songs from their full-length release, this EP contains a mix of dreampop and smooth rock, marred only by a lackluster acoustic ballad.



It opens on a strong note with the exquisitely smooth title song, before moving into the swirling rock riffs of the bizarre "Casino," and the plaintive breakup song "Strawberry." The Buffseeds hit a sour note in the acoustic ballad "Everything You Touch Turns To Gold," whose sparse musicianship simply doesn't suit Kieran Scragg's falsetto. They come on stronger in the finale, poignant little ballad "The Boy and the Motorcycle."



"Sparkle Me" doesn't seem terribly original at first glance -- it's music that grows on you, music that takes awhile to get used to. Eventually the sadness and prettiness of the music really starts to sink in, especially the rock riffs mixed with pop tunes.



Kieran Scragg has a pretty high-pitched voice, almost androgynous-sounding at times. In "Everything" I literally could not figure out his gender. Most of the time he merely sounds like the halfway point between Billy Corgan and Thom Yorke, and his floating voice adds to the dreamy feel of the music.



The Buffseeds are at their best when they do complex, shifting music with plenty of swirling riffs and keyboards. The final two songs break from this: one just has an acoustic guitar, while the other is sprinkled with gentle piano melodies and softly swelling strings, only to explode into a volcanic bass riff. It's a shocking contrast to the painful lyrics about loss and death.



The Buffseeds show plenty of promise in their debut EP "Sparkle Me," and hopefully their full-length album has just as much promise."