Dark Spark – White Light is an intriguing prospect right from the word go. If opener, “Sad Rain” is a gentle start, a way to allow the listener to dip their expectant toe in the sonic waters; “Dark Charm,” which follows, is Sugar Scars in full flight. But describing what they are doing here isn’t all that easy. Industrial dance? The essence of rock music, but constructed from electronic elements, raw-edged and resonant? Post-punkery taken to just one of its logical conclusions? Maybe it is best not to think about it too much and enjoy the ride.
And enjoy it you will, assuming that you are broad-minded, forward-thinking, and open to something new. By the time we get to “Mermaid,” you start to detect a spiky psychedelia at work, only one built from plate metal and martial beats, almost like an industrial take on Mercury Rev, if you can imagine such a thing. And thematically, the song explores the sensations of experiencing your own demise, a uniquely unreal experience reflected in the music itself and perhaps a key to unlocking what is going on here, or at least in part.
And then there are moments of a more joyful, upbeat nature, such as “Hedonistika,” a strange blend of warped oriental pop and clashing percussion, like Flaming Lips off-roading in search of even more interesting sonic roads.
Having reached the end of the album, I’m still not sure what is going on. I recognise shapes and patterns, sounds and styles, but they feel as if they are bubbling up from watery depths or being crushed on the wasteland behind a recycling plant. But that’s a good thing, right? Nothing exciting ever got created in a comfort zone, did it? Nothing original is easily put into words; Sugar Scars are the epitome of beauty in chaos, melody forged of mayhem and muscle, originality found within the anagrams and reordering of what has gone before.
Forward-thinking, adventurous, and challenging? Yes, yes, and yes. Unique? Hell yes!
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