SPOTIFY REVIEW: Sponge “Stop the Bleeding”

                If you think about the band Sponge, odds are that a specific song will come into your mind immediately.    However, what that song is might be a different story from person to person.  Do you remember them best for “Molly”, the pretty Sixteen Candles ode to Molly Ringwald?  Or perhaps you best remember them for their first big radio hit, “Plowed”, which is just an overall amazing song.

                While both of those two songs are on the “Rotting Piñata” Sponge would be no more of a one album wonder than they would be a one hit wonder.   Their follow up, “Wax Ecstatic”, ranks right up there with two more songs you may recognize from the radio.

                When my interest in music got peaked again about a year or so ago, I decided that I was going to look into Sponge to see what they’re up to now.  I didn’t find much, but I did like their page on Facebook and one day saw an update on this album that they released in 2013. 

                Part Dylan, part Our Lady Peace, a little bit of Matchbox Twenty (whom I don’t like, so let’s be fair) and even some Verve Pipe make up this band that has seemingly survived what many other bands simply could not. 

                But why shouldn’t they?  Unique vocals that can be easily recognized and related to Sponge coupled with that fast paced (When they want it to be) post grunge sound that basically was coming in on the tip of grunge going out.  

                As much as grunge was important and Nirvana killed big hair bands and all that, bands like Sponge that sort of took over the radio as rock bands after grunge had its highlights, well, they’re just as important to me and this album is no exception.   I just wish all of my favorite bands from my late teens were still making music this good.