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Amazing, isn't it? That a group can have been around for twenty five yearsâ??a bloody quarter of a century!â??and you haven't ever heard of them? I mean, in this line of work you get to listen to lots of different types of music; some good, some bad, some memorable, some forgettable. And you have your favourites; for me it's usually something with a bit of Beatles, a bit of Cheap Trick, a bit of The Byrds and The Band thrown in. Oh, and singer-songwriters. Classic pop, power pop, jangle-rock, country rock and confessional acoustic stuff. So why have I never heard of The Spongetones? How come 'Number 9' is their sixth album release and the first one I've heard? Good God, I must be losing it. Anyway, enough of my problems. This is a wonderful album; it's like listening to a jukebox of all your favourite sixties singles for the first time. It's all here; crisp, punchy, two-minute sparklers, heartfelt ballads, Kinks-y stories of love and life. A jingle here, a jangle there, jaunty solos, thwacking drums, blissful harmonies.
Information? They're from North Carolina and feature one Jamie Hoover, whom I have heard of. Forget Spongebob, get Spongetones!

John Stacey
October 2005

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