Exotic Creatures of the Deep

Thirty-seven years after their debut LP, Sparks release Exotic Creatures of the Deep, their 21st studio album. Recorded in their Los Angeles studio, brothers Ron and Russell Mael once again display their extraordinary ability to create, to challenge, and to confound. Should it be possible for two people to be so fresh, so vital, so unpredictable, and so incomparably individual?

The result of a year spent in near-isolation, Exotic Creatures of the Deep could, perhaps, be seen as a natural evolution from their last two records, on which pop-opera, rock, and high drama combined to redefine Sparks' sound. During these recent times, the cognoscenti have lauded and applauded Sparks while enjoying membership of an exclusive club. However, the remarkably exceptional and notably catchy creations on Exotic Creatures of the Deep are the key that enables many more, as Sparks have said, to "come and meet them."