What do you get when you cross Pat Benatar with Chrissie Hynde, add a bit of Linda Perry and a dash of Lita Ford?  You get Lily Sparks with a twist.  Women of rock ‘n’ roll take heed.  Lily Sparks has come out swinging with their album Cooper Cobra.

It begins with “Stars,” a fantastic song about stars, guitars and muscle cars. I t’s also about feeling fine and free, cruising down the road with some good tunes blasting and the wind in your hair.  This is a killer track that simply rocks.  Niamh’s vocals are spot on and she sounds extraordinary.  The guitar screams, the drums and the bass are right in synch, and “Stars” sounds spectacular.  There is an old school feel to this piece that makes me feel cooler just by listening to it.

“Let Go” starts a little slower and I totally dig the guitar riff.  Niamh’s vocals are sultry and sexy and she sounds nothing less than perfect.  I thought she sounded great while listening to the previous track, but I had no idea the sheer talent she had in those pipes of hers until I started listening to “Let Go.”  Voices like that are few and far between.  The whole song is seductive from Niamh’s voice to the rhythm of the drums and the bass to the guitar riff.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more seductive song.  I would love to see this performed live.  I could just imagine the looks on the faces of every male concert goer in attendance.  They would be standing there gaped mouthed and drooling on themselves.  That’s the power that this song has.  That’s the power of Lily Sparks.

The next track, “Walk Away,” has a catchy groove and rhythm to it, and I am once more impressed with Niamh’s vocals.  There is a bittersweet undertone to this piece, and beneath the pure unadulterated rock feel of it, there lies a quiet peaceful sort of pain that tugs at the heart.  “Walk Away” gives me a sense of the softer side of Lily Sparks, especially while listening to the lyrics.  At the end of this track, I am left remembering good times that have passed but have left me with warm memories.

“Where We Are Today” is definitely a softer tune and I’m glad to hear it.  They slow it down a notch and I find myself really focusing on the instrumentation in this one.  As usual, Niamh hits it and she sounds amazing, but this track allows me to see what the rest of the band is made of.  The sound of this piece it truly phenomenal and each member of the band are in tune with the others, and I’m not just talking about being musically in tune.  I get a sense that the members of Lily Sparks are in tune with each other mentally and emotionally as well.  This is a great collaboration of talent and it could not possibly sound any better.

The final track, “The Girls,” has a slightly country vibe to it and this catches me by surprise.  I wasn’t expecting a country flavor, but I welcome it.  It only goes to show that Lily Sparks is diverse and can play several different styles of music, which is always a good thing for any band.  “The Girls” is definitely the slowest track on the album and it’s more of a story than it is a song.  The lyrics take me to other places in my mind and I am there; in New York City, on Bleecker Street, heading to O’Donnell’s to have a few rounds with the girls.  There is excellent imagery in this piece. I feel warm and friendly towards a place that I have never been, and I feel even warmer towards this band that has made me feel a little bit of everything.  I went from feeling cool and walking with a strut,  to remembering old memories and feeling that old bittersweet pain, to feeling nostalgic for a place that I have never been. When a band can bring forth so many emotions that are so wholly unconnected, that’s when I know I’ve just heard something extraordinary.

Review written by Rhonda Readence

Reviews, Rhonda Readence Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks

Some guys go for petite flowers when it comes to finding girls to love. But others dig the tough chicks, and live for the challenge of handling handfuls. And for the latter variety, in the overall companion search realm, there is Lily Sparks. This band opens its new five-song EP with “Stars,” which announces: “Stars, guitars, muscle cars make me happy.” In other words, girly dresses and jewelry are not effective paths to their strong, gnarly hearts.

     This group is lead by Nimh who, while raised in Ireland, sounds a lot like American rocker, Ann Wilson, of Heart. Although she may not have the same Led Zeppelin fixation as does that Seattle-based classic rock band, Nimh can belt it out pretty darn well. Lily Sparks is from New York City, which is already a tough enough starting point for bands of guys. But this is a trio of girls, which certainly needs every ounce of toughness it can muster just to survive.

     The disc’s opener, “Stars,” is a sort of call to arms. It’s the type of song that declares just exactly who is doing the talking around here – these tough ones. “Moonlight on the GTO/And I turn the radio on,” it begins, setting the scene. “I’m living it up until my dying days,” the group says later, in a ‘live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse,’ manner. However, even tough exteriors sometimes have soft, white underbellies. But when Lily Sparks gets quiet and acoustic – as happens during “The Girls” — the track turns out to be a love song to New York City, rather than just some guy. It ends with Nimh gently cooing this famous big city’s name.

     There are, however, a few relationship songs – tunes about relationships to other people, rather than odes to autos, celebrities, metropolises and instruments – of course. With “Let Go,” Nimh cries for her man to let down his guard just a little bit more, so the two can open up to each other a whole lot better. And with “Walk Away,” a chugging rocker, she sighs about the aftermath of a relationship’s recent demise.

     The song that brings the band Heart most to mind is titled “Where Are We Today”. And while it’s slightly vague, lyrically speaking, it appears to contain politically motivated words. On it, Nimh asks a few biting, pointed questions. “Where are we today/Do you feel safe or still scared to speak your mind?” Over an insistent acoustic guitar groove, it seems to be about the affect of the 9/11 terrorist attack. And that makes sense because nobody who lives in New York City will ever be the same after what happened on that fateful day. It’s a shame that an event, that once so unified us, has become little more than political fodder to some. I wish the band could have been a little clearer in how they worded this particular one because that would have made it even more powerful than it already is.

     In a music scene where shock-poppers, like Lady Gaga, and girl rockers, like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, attract so much (too much?) public attention, it’s refreshing to once again hear an honest-to-goodness hard rocking girl band. Cooper Cobra will bring back memories of Heart, of course, as well as The Bangles during some of their more aggressive moments. Tracks such as “Stars” are good fun, but more thoughtful recordings, namely “Where Are We Today” and “The Girls”, reveal even more promise for this act, as they dig so much deeper. These women can definitely play and sing as well, so their future is bright.

     The world better let the ever-tough Lily Sparks succeed, or else somebody might get hurt.

Reviewed By Dan MacIntosh

Dan MacIntosh, Reviews Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks

Lily Sparks rocks hard and when I say hard, I mean hard in the vein of Lita Ford with maybe a hint of Siouxsie and the Banshees. This comes from having a lead singer with a huge voice. When you hear Niamh belt out a song like Walk Away, you probably won’t forget her and that’s a good thing. There are too many vocalists that just sound the same out there.

That’s why it’s so disappointing that Cooper Cobra is only 5 songs. From Stars to The Girls you are really drawn in. Niamh’s voice grabs on to you and you can’t stop listening, it doesn’t matter if she’s rocking out, like she does on the album’s opener, Stars or if she’s going bluesy, like she does on the New York City inspired The Girls, or taking the power pop route with Where Are We Today. Whatever she’s singing, you’ll feel compelled to listen and you’ll find yourself bopping along to the music.  At times it’s hard to believe Niamh grew up in Ireland, because her singing is very American.
Lily Sparks creates music that makes you want to crank the volume all the way up and sing along. If you aren’t driving there will probably be some air guitar-ing going on as well. The music is very modern with a touch of 80s girl rock, particularly Walk Away, which will remind some listeners of fun rock made by Vixen only without the big hair. This kind of rock band is few and far between.  This is a band that’s out there to make good music, not to cater to an image. This is a band of great musicians and an even greater singer. Hey, it’s not just me, Niamh’s won awards for her vocals. So don’t just take me word, give Cooper Cobra a listen.

The EP is a fun romp of good old-fashioned rock and roll, with nothing to mask the things that make it great. It’s got wailing guitars, it’s got a vocalist that you can’t stop listening too, but most importantly it’s got songs that really stick with you.  It’s fun music, pure and simple.  How can it not be fun with lyrics like “Stars, guitars and muscle cars, make me happy”? I know after hearing Stars I was happy. I was bouncing around the room and that lyric was stuck in my head. It’s still stuck in my head. Why? Because it’s a catchy lyric.

One of the best things about Cooper Cobra is its playability. You pop this CD into you player or on your iPod, or whatever and you want to listen to it often. It gets you moving. It makes you feel alive. You want to share its goodness with your friends. The only flaw is that Cooper Cobra is just an EP and 5 songs aren’t nearly enough when you get rocking with Lily Sparks. This is one band that you’ll want to hear more of, so let’s hope Cooper Cobra is the start of something big for this band, because I know that once you hear this EP you’ll be just like me, wanting more!

Reviewed By Andrea Guy

Andrea Guy, Reviews Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks

From the very first guitar riff on Cooper Cobra, the listener quickly realizes this isn’t your typical debut EP. Full of energy, Lily Sparks’ lead vocalist Niamh has a certain rocker quality that peaks interest. Accompanied by Nikki 7 and KG* on guitars and vocals and Mick Fumento on drums, the sound rounds out well and the five-song release leaves the listener begging for more. While Lily Sparks have been compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees, the band’s talent and versatility is undeniable. Blending 80s rock and killer guitar interludes for a truly unique experience, Lily Sparks is one band to watch.

Together just a year and a half, Lily Sparks have gone from playing acoustic shows in bars to playing the main stage at New York’s prestige venue Webster Hall – no small feat for a  new band. The music industry has taken notice too, as Lily Sparks have won the East Coast Finals of the Emergenza Festival beating several hundred bands in the competition. After winning, the band performed at the Taubertal Music Festival in Germany where Niamh won Best Vocalist.

Hard to believe, Niamh grew up in Ireland singing traditional Irish songs. Classically trained in voice and piano, she went on to perform in choral groups and played lead roles in musical theater. These experiences no doubt trained her as frontwoman of Lily Sparks.

First track, “Stars” is catchy and bound to stick in the listener’s head long after the last chord is played. “Starlight on the open road and I may not ever come home/Now I don’t care just what they’re saying/’Cause I’m not about to change my ways/I’m living it up ‘til my dying day/Stars, guitars, muscle cars make me happy,” Niamh sings with fitting electric guitar accompaniment. A perfect way to start the album, Lily Sparks drags the listener in right away.

“Let Go” switches gears and is more of a rock ballad than the high intensity showcased on “Stars.” Niamh alternates from rocker scream to delicate croon. “Is there a place that I could show you/I could show you, you don’t know/There are things I wanna show you if you only would let go” she sings seductively.

Cooper Cobra ends with “The Girls,” a slower ballad and a New York anthem many can relate to, regardless of the city you’re from. It’s the end of the week and time to relax, grab a drink with friends, and catch up with the girls “on everything from hair to men.” Extremely descriptive, the listener gets a sense of the familiarity and love the singer has for New York City. With a bit of a twang in her vocals, Niamh professes the comfort and adoration of a musician’s life in the city that never sleeps. “Glad to be at the end of the week/Now I can spend some time with my city/New York City,” Niamh belts.

At just five songs, Cooper Cobra impresses. With so much to offer listeners, one can only expect big things from Lily Sparks in the future. Each track ranges between three to four minutes, never overextending its welcome. Throughout Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks proves they have what it takes to successfully perform up-tempo, high energy tracks as well as softer, chilling ballads. As each track closes, the listener never quite knows what will be played next, but can be certain he won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed By Annie Reuter

Annie Reuter, Reviews Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks

Cooper Cobra by Lily Sparks is proof positive that classic rock albums are still being made and that it doesn’t take years to mature into a classic. When you have it, you have it–and Lily Sparks has it!

The band…

Lily Sparks makes up Niamh (Lead Vocals), KG (Guitar & Vocals), Nikki 7 (Guitar & Vocals) and Mick (Drums). Lead singer Niamh (Pronounced “neev”) is an Irish born classically trained vocalist, and it shows. About halfway through Cooper Cobra I fell madly in love with her voice. Niamh’s voice has the soaring melodic tempo of Heart’s Ann Wilson and the gritty soul of Janis Joplin. Some of the band’s punk-like vibes, especially in the track “Stars” I suspect is due largely to Guitarist KG, who learned to play in a punk-rock band. The punk influence gives the band an extra edge that cranks things up to eleven and allows Nikki 7 and Mick to amp it up to twelve, thirteen and well beyond.

The tracks…

“Stars,” the first track off of Cooper Cobra isn’t the deepest track lyrically, but who the hell cares? It rocks! Stars is all about the kind of rock that you jam out to and just let everything go. I have never been to one of Lily Sparks live shows, but this song makes me want to book a flight to New York just so I can hear them in person.

“Let Go” is a sultry little rock song that leads you into temptation and makes you feel good for all the wrong reasons. Again, Niamh’s vocals are stunning in this track, but more over major kudos go to the guitar rifts that are sinister yet extraordinarily sexy.

This may sound a bit out there, but the track “Walk Away” reminds me a lot of Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” Maybe it’s because both tracks are melody driven rock ballads about young love. Whatever the reason, this is one of my favorite tracks off of Cooper Cobra. Still…

 “Where Are We Today” is my favorite song on this album! I mentioned earlier that I fell madly in love with Niamh’s voice–this was the track where it happened. This girl has some pipes on her! I compared her to the likes of Ann Wilson and Janis Joplin, but in my opinion she blows them away! She very seriously could be one of the best female rock singers of our time.

The last song on Cooper Cobra is “The Girls.” This track is the perfect end to an amazing album. It’s soft folk-rock vibes just shows how versatile this band really is. Stunning. Simply stunning.

The verdict…

 Lily Sparks’s Cooper Cobra is by far one of the best rock albums that I’ve come across. With incredible vocals and a classic rock feel, this is an album for anyone that likes great music. Buy this album!

Reviews, Zack Daggy Cooper Cobra, Lily Sparks