Sparrow's Point
"How Can You Blame Me?"
(Indie Release) 

Well, we all know, all too well, that "nu-metal" (rap/metal that's really more rap than metal) is currently the "flavor of the month" in rock and roll today, and that the market is overflowing with Limp Bizkit clones, many of whom couldn't play their way out of a paper bag! However, there's always a chance you'll find a diamond in every dung heap, and Sparrow's Point is one such diamond. While I'm not a fan of the style of music they play, they are nonetheless a cut above your average Korn klone. While many bands playing "nu-metal" these days sound commercial, over produced, and watered down, Sparrow's Point play hard, mean, and aggressive, packing a punch straight between the eyes like a set of brass knucks! Singer CIP sings/raps in his abrasive voice, sometimes wailing and screaming as if in agony, and the band also writes some scathing lyrics. I got a kick out of some of them, such as the song "When I Grow Up", where they say, "When I grow up...I wanna be GOD!" Another song, "Wannabee", attacks its namesakes; entertainers trying to imitate whatever is popular in order to gain attention and success-"Imitation isn't flattery, desperation is all I see, fake creation gotta make a buck, it's recreation when you really suck." There is, without a doubt, too much of this kind of thing in pop culture today, so it's no wonder the band sounds pissed off about it! In fact, it brings the whole "nu-metal" scene to mind, so it's almost as if the band are criticizing their own genre. Some other songs that caught my attention were "Walk Away", a slower-paced, Tool influenced tune, and the aggressive closing track, "Product", which was recorded live, and is the only song to feature a guitar solo, from guitarist Kenny Stoned. Kenny needs to solo more often because he's quite good. There's also a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" on the album. A rather odd choice for a band of this style, but they do go hog wild with it! Hell, they go hog wild on the whole album! They give their music a hundred percent effort, and they certainly deserve credit for that! They do their thing better than most of the big name bands of this ilk. Given the right breaks, Sparrow's Point could do for today's scene what Guns 'N' Roses did for the 80's rock scene-give it a good, hard kick in the ass that it really needs!  

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