This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s: the Spongetones' "Here I Go Again"
Sure, critics have clung to the charge that the Spongetones sound so much like the Merseybeat of the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five that they drift into imitation. But there's an energy and joie de vivre in tunes like (the mercifully David Coverdale-less) "Here I Go Again" that prove the band to be far more than the sum of its influences. Where most power pop of the era drew largely from early-'70s templates like Big Star and merged at least philosophically with the contemporary punk rock movement to forge an edgy sound, the Spongetones concentrated only on bringing the sparkle and sheen of pop music at its purest. And in that sense anyway, they found a low-traffic '80s niche of their own that probably should have made the group far more of a household name, even as that name just happens to be one of the coolest ones in rock and roll.
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Where the Spongetones are easily thrown into an early 80’s category because of “Beat Music”, their first album being released then, they are very much alive and well. They virtually just released a new CD called “Too Clever By Half”, which is arguably their best release to date. Most of their contemporaries called it quits or have had numerous reunion tours by now. Even R.E.M., who offered hand claps on an early song of The Spongetones, are no longer creating vital music. You’ll get no disagreement with me that they should have been more popular. Still, it’s never too late to dig into their catalogue.
“Oh Yeah!”, their release from the early 90’s was record of the year in Stereo Review. Usually critical acclaim means the music isn’t very fun, but “Oh, Yeah!” takes exception to that notion. It is melodic, vibrant, well-written, well-played and well-recorded. All Spongetones releases are that way, but “Oh Yeah!” leaves you wanting a few more songs than the 14 on the disc. That’s the sign of an amazing album and a great group!