The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
by Sparks
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: May 26, 2023
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. The Observer (UK)
    May 30, 2023
    100
    There’s not a weak song here. A genuine pleasure to listen to.
  2. Under The Radar
    May 25, 2023
    90
    The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte is another funny, sad, clever, stupid, artful, basic, beautiful journey into Sparks’ peculiarly well-crafted universe, resistant to external gridding, and a spectacular example of one of music’s most beguiling and bewildering bands.
  3. American Songwriter
    May 23, 2023
    90
    To say it sounds like another great Sparks set might be damning it with faint praise.
  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    May 26, 2023
    80
    As determinedly quirky as its title, The Girl is Crying In Her Latte is a very strong collection of vintage Sparks moods, plus a few new left-field twists. [Jul 2023, p.84]
  6. AllMusic
    May 26, 2023
    80
    Only Ron and Russell Mael could have made this album, and while they've always done what they needed and wanted to do as artists, it's extra satisfying that this peak in their popularity coincides with music this vibrantly engaging.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 26, 2023
    80
    ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte’ is a reminder that even now, Sparks are completely content with boldly going first, taking their music into ambitious territory no one else has been before, making it easier for other acts to (hopefully) follow suit.
  8. musicOMH.com
    May 23, 2023
    80
    Although The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte might not be quite equal joyous recent peak Lil’ Beethoven, it’s impressive that, on their 26th album, Sparks are incorporating new sounds and concepts, whilst still sounding exactly like themselves.
  9. The Line of Best Fit
    May 23, 2023
    80
    AI could never replicate the unique balance between deranged imagination and supreme sanity that is the mark of a great Sparks record like this.
  10. The Wire
    May 22, 2023
    80
    This album feels more urgent and defiant than its predecessor. [Jun 2023, p.49]
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  11. Mojo
    May 22, 2023
    80
    Ron Mael's lyrics are elegiac, witty and forensically detailed; Russel Mael delivers them exquisitely and they specialise in ear worms. [Jul 2023, p.82]
  12. Uncut
    May 22, 2023
    80
    As always they are best when singing of brief encounters and regret. [Jun 2023, p.36]
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  13. Pitchfork
    May 30, 2023
    79
    If The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte reaffirms Sparks’ status as rock’s most reliable fabulists, the album’s grand finale brings forth an uncharacteristic introspection.
  14. Clash Music
    May 22, 2023
    70
    Far from dipping into past glories, the Mael brothers continue their storied run on a stylish, impactful record that illuminates their continued engagement with the wonder of the pop song.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Album of 2023

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Lajaleaa
    Jun 15, 2023
    7
    This enthusiastic mess of a musical is, actually, the same old Sparks. I'm happy they are having their fun, and on this album they put on someThis enthusiastic mess of a musical is, actually, the same old Sparks. I'm happy they are having their fun, and on this album they put on some blurry (but) organic concepts, adding a lot of digital texture, expanding their sound with heavy acoustics and topping with hyperrealistic lyricism, which sounds more like a messy mixture and not precisely an orchestration. They are good with saturation, but only when they are focused on each single aspect of their songs, which it doesn't feel like that in several ones in this one.… Full Review »
  2. StevenX
    May 31, 2023
    10
    Hopes were high for a new Sparks album. Reunited with both the label (Island) and producer (the great Toni Vicsonti), it was hoped that theHopes were high for a new Sparks album. Reunited with both the label (Island) and producer (the great Toni Vicsonti), it was hoped that the results would be at least as good as their last meeting, on 1975's "indiscreet", no less. Like that album, "The Girl is Crying in Her Latte" is a mix of styles, all done amazingly well. Sticking with the full-band approach that served them so well on 2020's "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip", the brothers Mael pull off a set that, even by their standards, is a new high-water mark. Visconti helps them stay in pop mode this time, with references to other songs in their vast body of work; the title track and "You Were Meant For Me" would fit well into their "Exotic Creatures Of The Deep" album, and "Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is", about a newborn who has seen enough of the world in his first day on Earth to want to go back into the womb, sounds like it was lifted from the sessions for "Indiscreet" itself. The classical repetition and minimalist lyrics that bogged the boys down a bit during their "Little Beethoven" era are gone, and the lyrics are as fun as the music on every track. There is no filler here. Ron and Russell Mael fought hard and long for their critical and popular resurgence, and they have arrived at the pinnacle. If this is where they are now, I hope their next album comes out next week. Of course, it'll be another year before I give it a chance, because this one ain't gonna leave anytime soon. In summary: wow. Just wow.… Full Review »
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