Our recurring feature series Track by Track sees artists guiding readers through each song on their new release. Today, Sparks discuss each cut from their new album, MAD!
More than half a century into their career, Sparks are still operating at full capacity. Through several lineup changes since their debut in 1971, brothers Ron and Russel Mael have remained by each other’s side and have now released MAD!, their 26th studio album together.
In 2025, the siblings from Southern California are persisting in their mission to spread the good word of synth pop and new wave through a collection of fresh tunes that have no discernible theme except that they are unmistakably Sparks. Brilliant in its occasional silliness and unchanging eccentricity, the LP is just another addition to a catalog that continues to get richer with each release.
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Across the 12 tracks that make up MAD!, the Maels bounce from “the nightmare of what’s going on in the world today” to “the frustrations of waiting at that incredibly long red light” to “an ode to our grand Los Angeles freeway, the I-405.”
In addition to a handful of songs about love and romance, they ensure that the record offers motivation and uplifts listeners by encouraging them to “follow [their] own muse” and “get [their] ass in gear and do something.” Sure, there’s a whole lot going on, yet it never sounds unfocused; rather, these songs feel like relatable musings of a regular scatterbrain in song format.
Stream MAD! below, and keep scrolling for a Track by Track breakdown by Russell Mael. Grab your physical copy of the album here.
In early June, the duo will embark on a world tour, with performances in Asia, Europe, and North America. Get tickets to see them perform live here.
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