Major Spark’s Second Act Burns With a Wild Youth on 'Walk Among the Poppies'
- Andy Roberts
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A confident sophomore album that is as wild as it is sincere, merging different sounds with a weaving rock grit and vintage soul.
With decades of musical partnership and experimentation, Major Spark, the duo of Mark Goodman and Brian Charles, reveal their latest boundless exploration of indie soundscapes.
It being their sophomore album feels fitting - ‘Walk Among the Poppies’ encapsulates the same youth, buzz and rebellious energy you might have felt in your own sophomore year. All 10 tracks drum along with a wild confidence, each beat echoing a sense of youthful, open-hearted curiosity. In this, they capture that spirit perfectly, channelling nostalgia, experimentation, and emotional honesty in equal measure.
“The Other Side” opens the album as a powerhouse - a magnetic blend of rock, electro, and even touches of country, forged from the duo’s signature vintage grit.
‘Kid, don't be afraid to shine
Yeah, you've got to believe you're right
Come on out and live it on the other side’
This chorus punches the air with a fist - Breakfast Club style, and there's lyrical sincerity at the core of the track, with an unguarded sense of rebellion that Major Spark carries with complete ease. The bones of the song are steeped in indie rock history; its driving rhythm loops from Moe Tucker’s drumming on Magnet’s “Julie” (off Don’t Be a Penguin), giving “The Other Side” that relentless pulse. But beyond its gentle nod to the indie hall of fame, it feels like both a jolt of electricity and a reassuring hand on your shoulder - urging you to keep moving forward through uncertainty.
While their 2021 debut, Beautiful Noise, bounced joyfully between dance-pop shimmer and surf-rock swagger, Walk Among the Poppies signals a new artist chapter for Major Spark. The balance between experimentation and cohesion, evident in their blending of different sounds from the indie, rock, and country worlds, feels carefully crafted yet full of life. With loops and layered textures unfolding into rich cinematic soundscapes.
The second track and duet with Miranda Serra “Be My Key”, adds a tender depth, whilst other tracks like “Take It Too Far”, with Tom West’s improvised piano, create a twang that injects a moment of spontaneity into the entire album. This further encapsulates that blending of experimentation and cohesion. Across the record, Major Spark traces an emotional journey that invites listeners into a world of empowerment, light and sonic adventure. It’s youth, with a warmth in its rebellion - the feeling of driving out into nowhere, windows down, volume up, the world rushing by.
With ‘Walk Among the Poppies’, Major Spark proves that the second time around can be even more exhilarating. It's an album that hums with life - youthful at its core, but with a maturity that understands that freedom comes from embracing chaos.
Wild, yet deeply sincere.
Words by: Maddy Swindells
