It’s been four years since Sam Sparro had his massive hit, ‘Black and Gold’, and with the release of his new album Return to Paradise, it looks as if he will stay a one hit wonder.
The album is an eclectic mix of electro, funk, pop, disco, and like standing in the middle of a massive laser light show, it all becomes a bit dizzying.
The opening track, ‘Paradise People’, is robotic and repetitive – and not in a good way. Although it does lend itself to being remixed, which could help to salvage something good from this album.
The quality of lyrics speaks for themselves, with lines such as “you had me feeling like a crack-head/ I want to squeeze you like a blackhead”.
‘Yellow Orange Rays’ seems to tackle some difficult subjects, such as drug addiction and religion, but it does this in a rather joke- like manner, mixed with a solemn tone in the next breath; which just leaves everyone confused as to whether Sparro is being serious or not.
The album lacks a theme or pattern and just ends up sounding like a whole heap of sounds dumped together with no real flow.
On the rare occasion Sparro does showcase his vocal talents, such as on ‘Shades of Grey’, it pays off, pairing his soulful voice with the piano ballad makes this the only stand out song of the album. It’s a shame the rest of the record isn’t up to the same level.
Sparro seems to have gone for quantity, and not quality, on Return To Paradise.
– Shannon Wood.
