Elaine Summers is a visual artist who specializes in mosaic pieces, from birdhouses and mailboxes to murals and the mosaic guitar that adorns her third album. On Sparkler, Summers demonstrates that the skills of a mosaic artist can be transferred to music. Youll find her inlaying clavinet and Trini Lopez slide guitar here, some wah-wah and an old-fashioned Telecaster there, creating layered, interestingly structured works of sonic art.
In other words, Summers knows her way around a catchy roots-pop song, employing a sound that blends folks who are all over the airwaves (Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty) with folks who it sure would be nice to have all over the airwaves (Syd Straw, the Honeydogs). Summers is a member of Pete Droges band the Sinners, and gets plenty of support from her colleagues on Sparkler, but this is Summers show from the get-go.
On the album-opening Fade Away, she first grabs your attention with her voice kind of Crow by way of Chrissie Hynde and then holds it with a bag full of hooks and harmonies. When she puts an obscure Gram Parsons song in the middle of it all (the only recently unearthed Just Cant Take It Anymore), the mosaic artist once again meets the recording artist. Summers clearly knows where to place a gem.