Marc Valentine – Basement Sparks
Wicked Cool Records
CD/LP/DL
Released 22 March 2024
New 11 track album by Marc Valentine, the follow up to his 2022 debut LP Future Obscure. On this record he is joined by the other members of his band Last Great Dreamers and noted solo artist Carol Hodge, who is also part of Crass vocalist Steve Ignorant’s band. Ian Canty writes…
Marc Valentine may be quite a new name to me, but he has quite a track record. He is probably best know as the singer/guitarist of 1990’s Rockers Last Great Dreamers and previously issued his debut solo collection Future Obscure back in 2022. The positive reception that record was afforded meant that a follow up was always on the cards and here it is, entitled Basement Sparks.
On this record he receives assistance from Last Great Dreamers’ rhythm section Steve Fielding and Denley Slade, star guitarist Richard Davies and backing vocalist Emily Ewing. Each get a chance to shine, but in some ways producer Dave Draper is Marc’s key co-conspirator on the record. As well as providing a spot-on sonic landscape for Valentine’s tunes to prosper in, he also plays guitar and keyboards on Basement Sparks.
We get underway here with Complicated Sometimes and this opening statement provides a bright and thoroughly convincing introduction to the delights of Basement Sparks. Like all great powerful Pop Music the guitars soar, the hook connects and the lyric is filled with pinpoint imagery i.e. “the television stays awake all night”. A Punky Tyrannical Wrecks comes hot on its heels, with a thumping rhythm tattoo until it slows to an eerie Psych section. From there it surges onwards towards a dynamic conclusion.
Next a vital pulse triggers Skeleton Key. This number is a little less intense than what has gone before, but still comes imbued with a strong sense of purpose. “The ghost of your love” refrain is as catchy as hell and there is real punch to the instrumentation, a testament to the abilities of Fielding, Slade and Davies.
Eve Of Distraction, away from the pun of the title, comes at a mid-pace tempo that lets the song flourish and the rock-solid drums of Denley Slade stand out. A little touch of Garage keys enlivens the intro to I Wanna Be Alone and Richard Davies’ guitar work here is special, coming over in just the right crunch to melody ratio. Then Valentine strips things right back to just keys and vocals for the start of a more reflective 3AM Anderson Drive, a real “end of the gig”/showstopping pure Pop moment that is completed with the accomplishment of a master. I suppose that Marc’s past stands him in good stead to judge what works, but he really excels himself here.
We’re into the second half of Basement Sparks and Strange Weather’s rolling vitality comes with a wry send-up of Valentine’s own Rock & Roll image in the line “And my shades were all cracked…”. You Are One Of Us Now follows with an edgy and irrepressible New Wave feel and Opening Chase Theme just rattles with spiky attitude and serves up another tasty hook. Repeat Offender comes flying out of the traps, cast on a simple but very effective musical formula that lets the song breathe.
This sets up nicely the closing missive of the LP, Ballad Of Watt. On this effort Marc is joined by the very talented Carol Hodge on piano and vocals and it offers a neat change of pace, relying on Carol’s subtle keyboards to help build something that comes over as a truly epic set closer. A neat ending to a satisfying and imaginative album.
Basement Sparks is, in summary, an impressive achievement in high energy, tuneful Pop/Rock, one that importantly uses restraint and taste to vary what is on offer. In other hands this LP may have been solid enough collection of noisy but catchy songs, but Valentine achieves something greater by producing an album where the songs fit together, but also would sound fine in isolation pumping out of a radio. As we come out of a very damp Winter, Basement Sparks is the ideal sound to take us towards the Summer 2024.
Marc Valentine is on Facebook here and his website is here
Get Marc Valentine – Basement Sparks here
slicing through the static 