Review - Sam Sparro - Return To Paradise

The cover of Sam Sparro’s sophomore disc is a picture of him today, where he looks strikingly like Freddie Mercury. I wonder if this is not only an homage, but also his way of telling us what to expect from the CD.

‘Return To Paradise’ is essentially just that. Sparro’s self-titled debut came out four years ago, and we’ve been missing him ever since. That album had some fantastic electropop hits on it, and many of us have been waiting patiently for him to come back.

‘Return To Paradise’ is different from his last effort, and yet it’s also business as usual. Sparro walks away from the electro and embraces the disco this time around. Some may not like that, but I love it. Sure, I would have loved to get another serving of hot electro-dance pop from him, but he does this glam thing so well, I really don’t mind.

By this I mean that there is actually something other than just produced electronic pop on this album – please don’t take this to mean he’s completely ditched the date that brought him to the dance. Songs like “Let The Love In” not only bring the electronic elements back, they bring ‘em wayyy back, referencing some old school electronic pop. And just to make the whole album seamless, he throws in different bits to make it more than just electric – this time with what sounds like a gospel choir backing him on the chorus.

Honestly, if there was one word for this album, it’s DISCO. Think of the 70’s, and not only the sound but the feeling that genre had. Sparro channels it so expertly, and it feels so good.

While the music may have changed, the tone and the style haven’t. Sparro is still making the same music he always was, he’s just using different tools this time around. Instead of computers and the like, he’s found instruments to make you dance. His lyrical style, voice, and all around x factor are the same, and he hasn’t lost a beat.

Listen to: “Happiness”, “Let The Love In”, “Yellow Orange Rays”