Splendid Magazine
Sparrow has crafted a pleasing, layered pop album, based on compositions originally written for an orchestral instrumental trio known as The Sparrow (and headed by Jason Zumpano). That name should be familiar, as Zumpano was the name of the mid-90s band that featured Jason on drums alongside Carl Newman of New Pornographers fame. Since then, Zumpano has changed his instrument of choice to piano and constructed an album of ultra-catchy pop music.
The album runs the gamut from melancholy, piano-heavy balladry to more upbeat rock songs, and the Beach Boys/Bacharach influence is audible throughout. That’s not to say that Sparrow is merely aping these touchpoints; Zumpano’s songs demonstrate a wide range of moods and instrumentation, a testament to the band’s neo-classical origins. In fact, the opening track is more reminiscent of the work of recent acts like Pinback than any of these ’60s and ’70s pop influences.
Sparrow creates simple, elegant pop tunes with complex arrangements and ample instrumental interplay — layers of piano, guitar, bass, drums, along with strings (violin and cello) as needed. Still, the band’s strongest suit may be Zumpano’s vocals — he makes it seem effortless, and has a great range. Many of his vocal lines are doubled, making Sparrow’s hooks even harder to resist.– Garrett Splain