CD REVIEW: Simon Scardanelli - That Dangerous Sparkle
Maverick Magazine, August 2008
No-one will ever be able to accuse Simon Scardanelli of holding anything
back on THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE. Whether it's a huge anthem like The Valentines, or the cracked emotions of the title track, it's all laid out for everyone to see. That kind of rare honesty makes THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE a spine-tingling listen at times. When you know that there is nothing between you and the musician, the effect is heightened ten fold, so it is with Simon Scardanelli. The only drawback is that there is little respite on this emotional roller-coaster. Blessed with a voice as emotionally bottomless as the songs he sings, Scardanelli eventually overpowers. Even ballads (a completely inadequate description) like She Comes and When You're Lying are so pinpoint accurate they become just as draining as the grandest rock anthem.
On THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE, Simon Scardanelli tangles the listener up in a web of pure, undiluted emotion but this not the fake theatrical kind, what's said is truly meant. Once you begin the journey, there's no getting away from THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE. It is a deep, dark and at times dangerous ride but it's also a satisfying one. MM
CD REVIEW: Simon Scardanelli - That Dangerous Sparkle
Sound on Sound Magazine, December 2007. Sam Ingliss
“Simon’s greatest asset is a fantastic singing voice, and he makes full use of its capabilities here.
His performance on tracks such as “They Dance” bear comparison to the likes of Scott Walker.”
CD REVIEW: Simon Scardanelli - That Dangerous Sparkle
By Chip Withrow - 11/25/2007 www.Musesmuse.com
Artist: Simon Scardanelli
Album: That Dangerous Sparkle
Label: Resonator Records
Website: http://www.scardanelli.com
Genre: Alternative Folk/Pop
Sounds Like: Roxy Music, David Bowie, U2, Coldplay
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Commercial Value: 8/10
Overall Talent Level: 8/10
Songwriting Skills: 8/10
Performance Skill: 9/10
Best Songs: Let There Be a Place, It's Only Life.
CD Review: This disc is off the well-worn path of what I listen to most, which makes it both challenging and refreshing. Simon Scardanelli reminds me of a couple of lush-sounding artists from the past (Roxy Music and Roger Waters’ solo work, for example) and also brings to mind some of the atmospheric, dramatic pop offered today (such as Coldplay and Keane).
The album opens with the prettily-strummed, synth-washed “The Valentines.” This tale of star-crossed lovers builds in intensity, Scardanelli’s low rumble of a voice becoming more plaintive as layers of instruments and backing vocals are added. On “They Dance,” Scardanelli’s vocal might be a bit overwrought, but the percussion-and-arpeggioed-synth loop is hypnotic.
Then comes perhaps the best track, the gospel-ish “Let There Be a Place,” a well-conceived blend of electronica and power ballad. A choir of backing vocals is the perfect heartfelt foil for Scardanelli’s weathered, world-weary delivery.
The title track is a letdown after “Place,” and “She Comes” also starts out ponderously. But a couple of minutes in, tension starts to build, and "She Comes" bursts into frenzied sax and thumping bass guitar and snare. I would like to hear that groove developed with lyrics. “Risky Business” starts with sweet yet mournful sax, and it drags some before settling into a heavy backbeat and sweeping synth/strings.
“It’s Only Life” is the fully-realized serious groove that “She Comes” and “Risky” hint at, a Bowie-meets-U2 burner. Scardanelli’s guttural spoken vocal is by turns humorous and sinister.
“When You’re Lying” is a simple, pretty acoustic ballad – a nice change from the density of the other tracks. And the closing “Take Your Hand Away” is similarly charming, morphing back and forth between a Cole Porter-style jazzy plea and a Harry Nillson-style tear-jerker.
That Dangerous Sparkle stumbles just a few times, but overall it is an ambitious grand statement from Simon Scardanelli. As a writer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, Scardanelli is a craftsman who deserves an in-depth listen.
THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE - Reviewed by Sid Cowens, Properganda Magazine. June/July 2007
Conceived on an epic scale this CD proves a real surprise. Once a hit maker as half of pop-rockers Big Bam Boo, Scardanelli has been emersed in serious music study over the past decade, following a period of living in New York composing installation works for art events and scores for experimental films.
He has definitely brought some of that experimental flair with him into this new CD,although here it’s used to add texture to what can mostly be described as conventional song structures. The albums opener, The Valentines, starts with the sound of waves before the acoustic guitar and piano kick the song into life. Simon’s vocals have something of the David McComb about them and The Triffids are a good reference point. There’s also a touch of Scott Walker as the first half of the album gives up a series of epic ballads. In the middle of She Comes the tune suddenly gives way to clattering percussion and soprano sax drenched in reverb and the ground has shifted. Surpise twists follow, with Risky Business and the following It’s Only Life taking serious left turns. This is ambitious stuff that demands serious attention.
THAT DANGEROUS SPARKLE - Reviewed by Evan Parker - Base.Ad May 2007
To be honest, when I first pressed play on Brummie singer/songwriter Simon Scardanelli's third album That Dangerous Sparkle I was expecting to hear dreary and inoffensive James Blunt type music. I was even more put off by the fact that he was previously in an (now defunct) '80s rock duo called Big Bam Boo which some of you older music fans might have heard of, or not. However I was surprised with the versatility of the album. What isn't a surprise however is the fact that Scardanelli is currently taking a PhD in electro-acoustic composition. The album sees him flirting with folk flutes, subtle keyboard textures and bleepy electro bits.
The album can be divided into two parts musically. The first half packed with powerful melodic ballads, with Scardanelli crooning away over flutes and acoustic guitar.
The album takes a dark experimental twist halfway through the tense ‘She Comes' where Scardanelli's wail pierces through the tranquil acoustic guitar and summons a frantic saxophone solo from the pits of hell. The second half also sees Scardanelli breaking away from his croon and singing in his own natural accent. The album highlight is the vocoder heavy ‘Risky Business' which sees the return of the unsettling saxophone, which this time battles with a haunting organ. At 9:11 minutes long the track never feels bloated or pretentious.
You never know what is lurking around That Dangerous Sparkle's dark corner, but whatever it is will always shock and surprise. Scardanelli is always prepared to take a risk, and we should all hope that it is this experimentation that is the future of British singer/songwriters.