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Mad!

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Mad!
Studio album by
Sparks
ReleasedMay 23, 2025
StudioSparks Studio, Los Angeles
Genre
Length45:45
LabelTransgressive
Producer
Sparks chronology
Annette – An Opera by Sparks (The Original 2013 Recordings)
(2024) 		Mad!
(2025)
Sparks studio album chronology
The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
(2023) 		Mad!
(2025)
Singles from Mad!
  1. "Do Things My Own Way"
    Released: January 30, 2025
  2. "JanSport Backpack"
    Released: February 25, 2025
  3. "Drowned in a Sea of Tears"
    Released: April 2, 2025
  4. "My Devotion"
    Released: May 1, 2025
  5. "A Little Bit of Light Banter"
    Released: May 21, 2025

Mad! (stylized as MAD!) is the 28th studio album by American pop duo Sparks, released through Transgressive Records on May 23, 2025.[2] It entered the UK album chart at no. 2, the highest in the band's career.[3]

Background and recording

[edit]

During a ceremony at the 2024 AIM Independent Music Awards in which Sparks received the honors of Outstanding Contribution to Music, bandmates Ron and Russell Mael took the opportunity to announce that they had signed to Transgressive Records for a new record.[4] This follows a continuous period of chart success for the Mael brothers, with Hippopotamus, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, and The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte all peaking at no. 7 in the UK Official Albums Chart, the highest position since Kimono My House peaked at no. 4 in 1974.[5]

Their first album of original material since leaving Island Records, the second time since Big Beat in 1976, Mad! also follows the self-released Annette – An Opera by Sparks (The Original 2013 Recordings) in 2024.[6] In an interview for Mojo magazine, vocalist Russell Mael states that in the wake of a successful world tour in promotion for The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte, Sparks had begun on their next album, finishing within a six month span.[7]

Promotion and singles

[edit]

In anticipation for the release for Mad!, Sparks released five attached singles. As with their previous album of original material The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte, the first two singles are the first tracks of the album.

The first single "Do Things My Own Way" was released on January 30, 2025. Five days later, they premiered the music video for the song on YouTube. The video was directed by Ambar Navarro, who has also worked with artists such as The Lemon Twigs,[8] Weyes Blood,[9] and John Carpenter.[10] In a review of the song for Beats Per Minute, Joshua Pickard praised the effort, stating that it "recalls the idiosyncracies of their early work while also highlighting the more populist sounds of their later releases."[11] Reflecting on the repetition of the lyrics, the song turns "inspiration into an everyday, accessible choice" according to Cult Following chief editor Ewan Gleadow, who adds that the general message "is a welcome reminder that nostalgia is a crutch."[12]

On February 25, 2025, Sparks released their second single "JanSport Backpack", alongside the announcement of the album's release date, cover, and track listing.[2]

On April 2, 2025, Sparks released their third single "Drowned in a Sea of Tears", followed by another music video directed by Ambar Navarro and starring performer/choreographer Tina Kronis. The song's atypical sincerity is noted in an interview by Variety's Chris Willman where Ron Mael says that while "We do try to have some level of seriousness below the surface of even the song [sic] that are humorous, ... in the traditional definition of what sincerity in a song is, this is more that."[13]

On May 1 and May 21, 2025, the singles "My Devotion" and "A Little Bit of Light Banter", respectively, were released.

Release

[edit]

Mad! debuted at no. 2 in the UK and no. 1 in both Scotland and the UK independent charts. This represents Sparks' highest chart position in the UK in the band's career, beating their previous record of no. 4 with their 1974 album Kimono My House.[3] The weekly charts, which run every Friday,[14] include an additional midweek chart called the "Official Albums Chart Update", which compiles sales from Friday to Sunday.[15] This had Mad!, without the support of a major record label, reach the top position of no. 1, higher than Sparks' previous record of 2020's A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip at no. 4.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[16]
Metacritic82/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Clash8/10[19]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[20]
Louder Than War[21]
Mojo[1]
musicOMH[22]
Paste7.6/10[23]
PopMatters7/10[24]
Record Collector[25]
The Telegraph[26]

Mad! received a score of 82/100 on the review aggregator website Metacritic based on 9 critics, which it categorized as "universal acclaim".[17] Another aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.6/10 based on 11 critical reviews.[16]

In a four-star review for Mojo, James McNair said that on the album, the Mael brothers "continue to concoct songs that are distinctively, resolutely Mael. On MAD!, synth-pop, art-rock and a programmed Shostakovich vibe (see paean to Californian interstate highway I-405 Rules) all feed into their skewed, self-contained universe, the arrangements as unpredictable as the subject matter."[1]

Writing for the magazine Record Collector, Simon Price said "MAD! enters, and attempts to reflect, a world that is mad in both the American (angry) and British (crazy) senses," citing "a new (or renewed) toughness to the sound" on certain tracks that draw comparisons to 1976's Big Beat.[25]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Ron and Russell Mael.

Mad! track listing[2]
No.TitleLength
1."Do Things My Own Way"3:40
2."JanSport Backpack"4:13
3."Hit Me, Baby"3:44
4."Running Up a Tab at the Hotel for the Fab"4:21
5."My Devotion"4:19
6."Don't Dog It"3:19
7."In Daylight"4:11
8."I-405 Rules"3:22
9."A Long Red Light"3:03
10."Drowned in a Sea of Tears"3:21
11."A Little Bit of Light Banter"3:30
12."Lord Have Mercy"4:42
Total length:45:45

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the CD liner notes[27] and Tidal.[28]

Sparks

[edit]

Additional musicians

[edit]
  • Max Whipple – bass (1, 3, 4, 6–8, 10–12)
  • Eli Pearl – guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 10–12)
  • Evan Weiss – guitar (1, 3, 4, 10–12)
  • Stevie Nistor – drums (4, 11, 12)

Technical and design

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Mad!
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 193
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] 48
Scottish Albums (OCC)[3] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[3] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[3] 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c McNair, James (May 8, 2025). "Sparks: MAD! – Their 28th studio album! How mad is that?". Mojo. No. 380. p. 79.
  2. ^ a b c Redfern, Mark (February 25, 2025). "Sparks Confirm New Album Details, Release New Single 'JanSport Backpack'". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Sparks | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  4. ^ Duran, Anagricel (October 18, 2024). "Sparks announce signing to Transgressive Records". NME. Archived from the original on May 3, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  5. ^ "Sparks". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  6. ^ "Sparks Release New Single, Reveal New Album Title Tour Dates". Louder Than War. January 30, 2025. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  7. ^ Harrison, Ian (July 22, 2024). "Sparks: 'It's a disservice to pop music to come out with stuff that isn't cool.'". Mojo. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  8. ^ Skinner, Tom (February 14, 2023). "The Lemon Twigs announce fourth album 'Everything Harmony', share new single 'Any Time Of Day'". NME. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  9. ^ Corcoran, Nina (September 18, 2023). "Watch Weyes Blood's New Video for 'Twin Flame'". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  10. ^ Johnson, Christopher (March 7, 2024). "John Carpenter Announces 'Lost Themes IV: Noir'". WECB. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  11. ^ Pickard, Joshua (February 4, 2025). "Sparks bring awareness to the dangers of falling pianos in their video for 'Do Things My Own Way'". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Gleadow, Ewan (January 30, 2025). "Sparks – Do Things My Own Way Review". Cult Following. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  13. ^ Willman, Chris (April 2, 2025). "Sparks on the Duo's U.S. Summer Tour, New 'Drowned in a Sea of Tears' Single, Forthcoming 'Mad!' Album and That John Woo Movie Musical (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 5, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  14. ^ "About". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Update: 25 May 2025 – 31 May 2025". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Sparks – MAD!". Any Decent Music?. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "MAD! by Sparks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  18. ^ Phares, Heather (May 23, 2025). "Mad! – Sparks". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  19. ^ Murray, Robin (May 22, 2025). "Sparks – MAD! – A glorious return from the art-pop brothers..." Clash. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  20. ^ Hamilton-Peach, Christopher (May 22, 2025). "Sparks continue toying with creative flourishes on MAD!". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  21. ^ Plummer, Robert (May 23, 2025). "Sparks: MAD! – Album Review". Louder Than War. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  22. ^ Murphy, John (May 22, 2025). "Sparks – MAD!". musicOMH. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  23. ^ Teder, Camryn (May 23, 2025). "Sparks Blend Maximalism and Satire on MAD!". Paste. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Lyng, Eoghan (May 21, 2025). "Sparks Refuse to Sit on Their Laurels with 'Mad!'". PopMatters. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Price, Simon (May 19, 2025). "MAD! | Sparks". Record Collector. No. 571. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  26. ^ Perry, Andrew (May 23, 2025). "Sparks, Mad!, review: eccentric brilliance with pearls of wisdom". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  27. ^ Sparks (2025). MAD! (CD liner notes). Transgressive. TRANS850CD.
  28. ^ "MAD! / Sparks / Credits". Tidal. May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sparks – Mad!" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sparks – Mad!" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
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