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
