Major Spark Releases Two New Singles/Videos

A lazy groove is grinning at us from under a bed of smothering guitars, and it doesn’t take much more than a cursory examination of these elements to appreciate the detail Major Spark is putting into the new single “Run Run Run,” one of two tracks currently out and trending this June. Unlike the electronic “Beautiful Noise,” “Run Run Run” is a pretty straightforward alternative rock track that doesn’t veer too far into the realm of sonic experimentation, but for what it lacks in ambitiousness it makes up for in stone-cold muscle and a ‘90s-influenced aesthetic this act wears especially well.

The visualizer for “Beautiful Noise” doesn’t attempt to conceptualize the song it’s inspired by, but instead lays out a blue-collar music video that feels more on par with what we might expect in a piece for “Run Run Run.” What’s interesting about the juxtaposition of these two releases is that they sport each other’s cosmetics brazenly, reminding us that this is the same pair of intelligent minds responsible for either performance. The continuity is here if you listen and look closely enough, and I love that it isn’t being stitched together by hokey props or predictable lyricism.

While I like the hook in “Beautiful Noise,” the driving melodies of “Run Run Run” are the true charisma that got me interested in the latter track over its structure. Again, this is a really formulaic piece of material compared to what a lot of this pair’s peers have been creating lately, but it’s the enthusiasm and pulse with which they’re bringing it to life that gets me the most excited here. You can be simple and compelling, and this is a project that seems to go out of its way to prove as much to us in “Run Run Run.”

I will say that I like the sleeker feel of the mix in “Beautiful Noise” because of how well it accentuates the fluidity of the beats, which is obviously the most important feature in a dance-oriented track. Major Spark isn’t playing games with us when it comes to the potency of the groove in this single, and I think it took a more streamlined production style to make the rhythm as infectious as it is here, no matter how many times we’ve already listened to the song. It’s addictive, and not because of its outward brawn alone.

We get two different sides of the same ingenious coin in “Run Run Run” and “Beautiful Noise,” and I recommend curious listeners check out both of these songs and their music videos if they’re in the mood for some quality musicianship regardless of genre. While “Run Run Run” is pure, angst-ridden rock n’ roll the way it was made to be performed, “Beautiful Noise” is a stab at postmodernity that still feels very much like an extension of the rock aesthetics of its counterpart, and I believe that once these tracks find a home on the college dial, they’re going to bring Major Spark a lot of attention.

Mindy McCall