Sprites: Modern Gameplay

Even if they write interesting lyrics, pop musicians will be destined for insignificance if their music is no good. Fortunately, Sprites demonstrate melodic gifts and arranging skills alongside delightfully quirky lyrics. Led by Jason Korzen, the former songwriter of Barcelona, Sprites have created an instant geek classic with their latest album, Modern Gameplay. The songs cover diverse topics ranging from zombie films on “George Romero” to invisible robots on “The Most Dangerous Thing in the World”. When Sprites are most successful, as they are on “I Started a Blog Nobody Read”, they are both laugh-out-loud funny and strangely touching. As the album wears on, the group’s naivety starts to wear thin, but though the latter songs don’t have the magic of the first, they are still charming. The lighthearted, new wave-influenced songs aren’t muscially amazing, but in the context of Modern Gameplay‘s frequent lyrical brilliance, they are sparkling pop gems.