Indigo Sparke – Echo

8 March 2021 / by Natasha Bernstein
The cover to Indigo Sparke's debut album Echo
Album reviews
Indigo Spark Echo
Released: February 19, 2021
Label: Sacred Bones Records
Movement:
Folk
Lane:
Adrianne Lenker / Big Thief / Lana Del Rey
Rating:
8/10
Heat:
Colourblind, Carnival, Everything Everything

Indigo Sparke began her journey in 2016, with Nightbloom, a somber and whimsical EP and after lingering in the music world for a while, she’s finally dropped her debut album Echo. It’s a candid and poetic work that stands out against the music of today. The folksy-infused album is accompanied by tracks that lead the listener on a journey through the brutal honesty of life, death, and the desire for love all under a mere 32 minutes. 

Singing so gently, every sound up to the inhale of Sparke’s breath is heard along each song. Through her singing, every emotion can be detected, from the pain while she chokes out “I’m undone”, to the desire for something better as she yearns the simple words, “Yes, I’ll wait”.  Every bit of the album is sincere and through her eloquent singing, she’s able to delicately tug at heartstrings.

True to its title, every song has a slight echo to it which is complemented with an acoustic guitar and her poignant vocals. Echo tells the story of what happens when the illusion of love falls apart, and the nostalgic longing for it is left astray. 

While it’s worth giving credit to her outstanding singing voice, it shouldn’t draw attention away from the abstract lyrics that bring each song to life with a unique story. In an eerie and slow paced manner, ‘Wolf‘ tells the story of an undying love and a lone wolf, strung together during the endless possibilities of the night. A storyteller, Sparke scatters several tales in a single song, giving various meanings to every line she whispers. 

Everything Everything‘, also details Indigo Sparke’s remarkable songwriting. An ode to life and death, it flutters from “everything is simple” to “everything is dying”, in the most calm and serene way. Such somber words are sung peacefully and lightly, as if she is coming to terms with the harsh realities of life. You can almost picture a faint smile on her face while she finishes the last of the song’s gloomy lyrics. 

 Her voice  stands out on ‘Carnival’ as she passionately sings “I have pulled apart the cosmos/trying to find you inside/You have drawn all the curtains/Just trying to hide”, then leading to a withering rasp that struggling out “will you be mine?”. While she howls her way through the song, it leaves a Lana Del Rey-esque floating sensation as she murmurs, “Cool hearts, peach blush/is that the reason for/split lip, bruise hip/you broke it open”. 

Baby‘ is the only song that blends in amongst the others; feeling slightly repetitive with the similar guitar picking heard through the other songs. Other than that, Sparke continues to leave an impact with simple but sentimental words as she croons “you’re my lullaby”. 

An unforgettable sound from start to finish, Indigo Sparke has truly achieved a remarkable album. Her unique singing style shines through in Echo, bringing such emotional value and importance to every word. That haunting nostalgic feeling the album captures so well, lingering even after it is done, demonstrates the potency words have.