Comparisons to Sigur Rós made by the United Kingdom’s own NME Magazine bring justification to a slower song like “White Sparks” standing out on a new album. North London’s Animal Kingdom will happily take any positive press the long-time music publication from their native land has to offer.
The likening to the celestial Icelandic group was meant for 2009 debut album Signs and Wonders. Now promoting the May 2012 launch of sophomore album The Looking Away, the band can still be tied to the uplifting, free-floating feel those comments invoked.
In “White Sparks,” the British trio has put together a short track rife with emotion. Richard Sauberlich excels in maintaining the calm projected throughout the soothing intro despite the swift drum beat thrown in by Geoff Lea. Initially singing in a hushed, under-the-radar volume, Sauberlich’s jump to falsetto for the magnificently memorable chorus arrives with the loud declaration of “You are not alone!” The harmony behind his beautiful description of the titular sparks only adds to the desire to replay the chorus over and over, waiting for the cymbal to prematurely announce the vocal shift that defines the track.
Billed as alternative rock, the entirety of The Looking Away maintains a relaxed vibe. It is the infectious, echoed chorus of “White Sparks” that separates the track from the rest.