Sparta: Porcelain : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Sparta may long to distinguish themselves from their previous band, At the Drive-In, but that ain't gonna happen. Singer-guitarist Jim Ward, guitarist Paul Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar should be glad: Their tenure in ATDI -- one of the most reckless, captivating punk bands of the past few years -- earned them a built-in fan base when they formed Sparta in 2001, despite their lack of a compelling frontman or any sense of adventure. Their second album, Porcelain, is rote emo-core, all predictable quiet-loud shifts and overwrought vocal melodies. There's no faulting the musicianship, which is tight and powerful. But there's also no mistaking that power for genuine intensity. Porcelain has a few bright spots -- "While Oceana Sleeps," "Hiss the Villain" -- and it sounds enough like mid-Nineties groups such as Seaweed and Quicksand that, at its best, it's a nice nostalgia trip. Mostly, though, it's just kind of boring.