Living in the shadow of Carl Newman must be a drag, even in an indie sphere inclined to embrace the underdog. Take Jason Zumpano, Sparrow frontman and former drummer for the mid-90s power pop outfit that shared his last name, as well as Destroyer. His band's self-titled debut was as flimsy and unremarkable as the band name would suggest-- a drab foil for former bandmate Carl Newman's flashy, ever-so-jubilant New Pornographers. Fortunately, a new label and better backing gives Sparrow a shot in the arm, and The Early Years feels more complementary to Newman's works rather than a degenerate version of it.
Lacking Newman's jaw-dropping twee-pop chops, Zumpano's arrangements hinge on efficiency and quaintness. Opening track "Flower" best showcases this damage control; horns, strings, and thumping ivories prop up Zumpano's thin croon, and the song's sweeping shuffle breathes life into the band's nostalgic musk. For the cherry on top, Zumpano tweaks his sometimes simplistic lyrics, further shrouding the otherwise straightforward pop songs with a layer of mystique. "Flower" culminates with the frustrated "Why can't I see past the head of a flower?/ Why can't it be just the same?", a vast improvement from previous lyrical quips like "You are gone, and I am happy."
Sparrow's wholesome 60s flavor can come across as distractingly retro. The title track's melody rips "Classical Gas" though keeps chugging along until Zumpano co-opts the hook for himself. Lush bridges and spontaneous breakdowns also help to spice up the samey verse-chorus-verse formula. "I Wouldn't Mind" is a sprawler for Sparrow, almost hitting five minutes thanks to a dramatic, Picaresque symphony interlude. "So Far From Me" further blurs the classic pop edges as sharp harmonies and languid violins loom like Elliott Smith-sized storm clouds over the beaming, carefree chorus.
All in all, The Early Years aims mid-level and consistently hits the target. The mostly mid-tempo track list creates a pervading coziness, each song melting unnoticeably into the next. Of course, the album's more than an old comfy afghan. Zumpano's newfangled hankering for melody sublimates the band's sound, propelling him from a what's-his-face Carl Newman associate to Jason Zumpano, former Carl Newman bandmate and singer of a pretty good band.
