On Dark Spark – White Light, Sugar Scars double down on atmosphere and intensity as they look to convey reality in all of its bleakness
Since the release of their debut single last year, bi-national multi-instrumental duo Sugar Scars have been releasing music from across the US and Mexico border, establishing themselves as an ambitious and thought-provoking unit with a penchant for crafting honest and powerful art with a disregard for genre conventions. The release of their sophomore album Dark Spark – White Light looks to have cemented this status for the band, a collection of tracks that are packed full of creative ideas and atmospheric, memorable tendencies.
The atmospheric opener ‘Sad Rain’ is a track that moves as a deliberate pace, setting the tone for the release in reflective fashion while never overplaying their hand or giving too much away early on. It makes for a sobering introduction and one that strikes a resonating chord with you as a listener.
From here, we go to ‘Dark Charm’, the first single from the album and one that has already been celebrated for the hypnotic qualities of its sound and its pounding percussive rhythms. There is an unsettling and almost ghostly tone to the vocals here that has a haunting presence throughout, giving it an almost ritualistic and trance-like feel when it all comes together and making for a really memorable listening experience.
There is a more upbeat and driving feel to ‘Deathtiny’, with its more energetic nature giving it a bit more of a sense of life and dynamism while still flirting with some of the more uneasy tendencies that have become a staple of the release. The addition of a wider range of vocals on the track gives it both a sense of lightness but also a weirdly foreboding and intense feel in some ways, and it continues to demonstrate the genius of the duo and the meticulous crafting that goes into their sound.
Themes like hopelessness and inevitability dominate ‘Mermaid’, the duo’s most recent single’ a track that offsets some of its lighter strokes with a sense of darkness and impending doom. There is a really cutting edge feel to the bassline here that underscores everything really well, and the indie rock-esque chorus makes for one of the more accessible and catchy moments on the album.
Their atmospheric appeal continues to shine on ‘Mantra’, a track that is packed full of fun, swirling synths that once again provide a really cute contrast to a lot of the murkiness on display. If this is a track that is built on a soundscape that feels fun, then ‘Hum’ looks to do the opposite, lurking into sludgy and dissonant depths in a way that feels punishing and fierce, packing a real sense of grit and intensity that makes for one of the album’s most experimental moments.
There is a poppier aesthetic on display on ‘With Me’, with the instrumentation feeling less claustrophobic and all-encompassing and allowing the vocals a bit more room to breathe, providing a smart contrast to the more atmosphere-heavy tracks that came before. These ideas are pushed even further on ‘Hedonistika’, a track that lives up to its name with an experimental sound that has the kind of off-kilter charm of an MGMT deep cut taken to its furthest extremes.
‘Check Yo Self’ is a fierce and dynamic track that sees the duo veering into their most confrontational and forthright territory. While a lot of the tracks on the album can focus on atmosphere and creating an ominous and distinctive feel, this goes right for the jugular, and makes for an exciting tone shift as a result.
Things slow down once again as we reach the business end of the album, with ‘Burnett Sedition’ creating the kind of sense of unease that the band have consistently showcased they are capable of. A fully instrumental track, the shortest track on the album skits and stumbles towards closer ‘Just Go’ with the kind of intensity that the album has made its home.
As ‘Just Go’ offers a stirring moment of reflection that rounds the album out in reverb-soaked and fitting fashion, it really gives you time to digest how much Dark Spark – White Light feels like a world unto itself thanks to its unique appeal and the commitment to creating a distinctive and memorable sonic world that stands out and feels instantly recognisable. This all-in approach on atmosphere and creating a vibe may not be for everyone, the vocals can feel muddied in the mix at times and some of the tracks take some time to distinguish themselves from one another, but the album truly knows what it is, and does a great job of carrying around this sense of dread that aims to reflect the realities of life, and not some storybook happy ending.
