Sparks Announce New Album

Musical mavericks Sparks (featuring Californian brothers Ron and Russell Mael) will release their new studio album Hippopotamus on September 8 via BMG, accompanied by the first UK dates of The Hippopotamus Tour.

Recorded in Los Angeles, Hippopotamus sees them take the pop form, shake it up, and create an album that is adventurous, fresh and idiosyncratically ‘Sparks’. Described as “the smartest, most consistently evolving band in the history of rock”, and internationally-acclaimed as pop pioneers, Sparks’ music has always been innovative and instantly identifiable.

The title track, first played on BBC Radio 6 Music, was released as a single at midnight Friday March 24 after the band performed it along with three other songs from the album, in their set at the 6 Music Festival in Glasgow. You can read more about that show here.

Tracklist

01. Probably Nothing

02. Missionary Position

03. Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)

04. Scandinavian Design

05. Giddy Giddy

06. What The Hell Is It This Time?

07. Unaware

08. Hippopotamus

09. Bummer

10. I Wish You Were Fun

11. So Tell Me Mrs. Lincoln Aside From That How Was The Play?

12. When You're A French Director (featuring Leos Carax)

13. The Amazing Mr. Repeat

14. A Little Bit Like Fun

15. Life With The Macbeths

Tour Dates

9/20 - Queens Hall, Edinburgh

9/22 - O2 Ritz, Manchester

9/23 - Rock City, Nottingham

9/24 - O2 Institute 1, Birmingham

9/26 - O2 Academy, Bristol

9/27 - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London