Hillbilly Moon Explosion – The Sparky Sessions

Zurich, Switzerland psychobilly band The Hillbilly Moon Explosion had their first big hit with “My Love For Evermore,” which featured a duet from legendary Demented Are Go front man Mark “Sparky” Phillips.  The song received sixteen million views on YouTube – no small feat for a niche band, let alone anything in the psychobilly genre.  The song stood out on its original album so much that the band collaborated with Sparky once again for a cover of “Jackson” on the album With Monsters and Gods.  Each track was received so well with fans that producer Greg Townson decided to explore the possibility of a full joint album, and thus The Sparky Sessions was born.

The collaboration features eleven songs of original tracks and classic covers, and amalgamates all prior covers onto one disc.  That makes seven new recordings for fans, and a collective home for Sparky and Emanuela Hutter’s previous duets. Sparky’s trademark raspy growl is married in perfect juxtaposition to Hutter’s unmistakable sultry vocals.  To understand just how rough Sparky’s vocals can be, look no further than one of the top user comments on the original video which bluntly proclaims, “this dude sounds like a cigarette.” Given that grit is one of the genre’s aims, the “dude” should take it as a compliment (think The Gutter Demons for a contemporary reference).  Meanwhile, Hutter’s vocals are clean and crisp, ripe for moonlit car ride to a sleepy all night 50’s drive-in. They’re the type you’d find fronting similar bands like Bonsai Kitten, Night Nurse, The Bloodstrings, and Donna Dunne & the Mystery Men .  Hutter and Sparky are an unlikely pairing, but that’s what makes them come together with such impact.

New recordings include those like “Northern Crown,” which channels a sort of swanky showroom back and forth built from singing strings and piano keys.  The track conjures imagery of steam-filled New York streets and speakeasies of yesteryear. Others like “Queen of Hearts” pair the two in a tale of forbidden attraction that see them trading lines and overlapping verses amidst a soft, velvety backdrop.  “Stumble Through The Darkness” thrives on big thumping upright bass and dark, rock n’ roll undertones. Among these new tracks are covers of 60’s classic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Baby I Love You,” both of which Sparky and Hutter make intimately their own. Heavy reverb and distortion refine these versions with a dark modern twist.  Sparky’s grizzled vocals add a sense of deviancy that goes hand in hand with modern psychobilly and in combination with Hutter makes for a sense of forbidden desire.   

Album opener “Broken Love” deserves a special spotlight for being the album’s sole track with full writing credits given to Phillips.  As such it is the album’s most sonically reckless, with a big bashing drum beat and vigorous tempo. Given my familiarity with “My Love For Evermore” it actually caught me completely off guard during my first listen, but has since become an undeniable highlight during repeat listens.

If you’ve enjoyed previous Hillbilly Moon Explosion and Mark “Sparky” Phillips collaborations, then The Sparky Sessions gives you yet another reason to enjoy all of these past efforts, and embrace a host of new ones. Based on presence alone, The Sparky Sessions stands poised to become a fencepost in the psychobilly scene for years to come. The album is one of those rare gifts that just sort of emerges organically but could have never been asked for or anticipated. The Sparky Sessions is a gem that will forever be cherished by the psychobilly community.