Sparks are a mysterious band. A creature whose chameleon-like mystique moves through the decades leaving their mark, but what is the truth about them, and is it all theatre? Admitted fanboy Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Last Night in Soho) takes a deeper look into one of music’s most enigmatic creations.
As is the case with most music documentaries, Wright examines the whole of Sparks history, and pretty much follows their lives chronologically. For many people it will be a surprise to learn that the brothers are actually from Southern California and not British or German as their sensibilities might suggest. Thus, a lot of the detail about their childhood and early years is quite revealing, although like the rest of the film, the overall mystique is maintained as they still come across as otherworldly.
From the moment that they start to discuss their musical efforts at UCLA, there is a dizzying array of talking heads giving insight into both their careers and the music itself. Some of these are fans, while others are both fans and collaborators from over the years. There are some surprising contributions, such as learning of Todd Rundgren’s early involvement, and his connection to Sparks through Miss Christine of the GTOs, or commentary from songwriter/producer Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent).
Their tale is quite an eclectic one too, that sometimes comes across as an Atlantic-hopping theatre production, as they move between opportunities and different incarnations of the band. They are not afraid of re-inventing themselves, a feat they do over and over again, even after significant success with ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’, their 1974 hit. From the early days of being ‘halfnelson’ and then into Spark proper they confounded any kind of pigeon holing, even to this day where they keep doing the unexpected.
So compelling and strange is their story that at times it comes across as possibly being all a hoax had it not been witnessed or documented at the time. The Mael brothers like to play with that mystery and mix the work together with what is going on around them. Somehow this just seems like more theatrics and less revealing than it could be, but in a fantastic way.
Stylistically, the documentary plays with form too, putting in whimsical flourishes that are in keeping with the Sparks spirit. It seems that Edgar Wright is definitely on the same wavelength as the brothers and they seem remarkably at ease with him, being very open throughout. That allows him to add touches that other subjects might balk at. On top of this there is a range of different animation styles employed throughout the documentary, which are used to embellish or re-enact sections of the narrative. These seamlessly weave their way through the film and don’t feel at odds with either each other, or the monochrome talking heads.
For fans of Sparks this is will be a delight, but for people who are new to their work, this will be an eye opener. Not just in revealing their sheer brilliance, but also in an inspirational way, showing what wit, invention, and downright genius can co-exist in pop music, and then continue to straddle generations, as well as genres. Like the band, Wright’s documentary hits the right notes at the right time and does it with some grandeur.