Sixteen Deluxe: Emits Showers Of Sparks

Expectations of Sixteen Deluxe's new album were high, considering the quality of the band's debut full-length, 1995's Backfeed Magnetbabe, and the strength of its live show. After all, few groups pursue contemporary psychedelic music, and other contemporary practitioners of the genre (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Rollerskate Skinny, etc.) have released brilliant albums in recent years. Considering those expectations, the new Emits Showers Of Sparks is a bit of a disappointment. Maybe it's big-label pressure, or maybe Sixteen Deluxe is a one-trick pony, but Emits Showers Of Sparks just doesn't pack much of a punch. It's not without high points: The up-tempo rock of "No Shock (In Bubble)" is jaunty and danceable, while the trippy psychedelia of "Honey" sounds like it's being played through a nitrous haze. But those are exceptions. Rather than producing anything novel or mind-blowing, Sixteen Deluxe has produced an album that sounds like a toned-down My Bloody Valentine, and wouldn't sound out-of-place on any generic commercial-alternative radio station.