Detroit has affectionately been known as Rock City for decades now thanks to the slew of artists that originated from the area. Of course there was the impact of Motown Records, but moving forward into the ‘70s artists such as Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, and Suzi Quatro were making their mark too. Then KISS even made the term a song title in 1976, thus leaving little debate of Detroit Rock City and the significance to music.
Fast forward to the ‘90s, Detroit’s torchbearer was a new band going by the name of Sponge as part of the dominating new Alternative Rock scene of the era. Formed in the early part of the ’90s, Sponge would go on to make a big impact on the international music scene with their 1994 debut album Rotting Piñata. In retrospect, the album featured chart-topping singles such as “Plowed” and “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain),” assisting in it reaching gold status. Also, a massive launching point for Sponge, 1996’s Wax Ecstatic was another stellar effort from the band that peaked in charts, leading them to a crossroad as the millennium came to a close a few years later.
A pinnacle point in the story of the band, in 1998 Sponge was primed and ready to go with a slew of new songs that sported a slightly different sound. Something a little more straight forward Hard Rock with tints of Pop Rock, and less Alternative Rock/Grunge inspired, for whatever reason Columbia Records was not interested in releasing the material. Believing in the songs, Sponge opted to finish up the tracks and put them out through Beyond Records in the spring of 1999 as their third album New Pop Sunday. Panned by critics, but still holding up among Alternative Rock fans decades later as an overlooked gem… wouldn’t many be interested to know there was actually even more behind the New Pop Sunday sessions then thought? Well, now 25 years later Sponge are offering the archived recordings as a new album called Planet Girls.
Named after the memorable track off the original New Pop Sunday, this new album arrived exclusively on clear red vinyl for Record Store Day on April 20, 2024 through Jason Hartless’s Sound City Records. A very limited pressing (1,200 copies to be exact), if you cannot get your hands on one of them, it is also presently available for streaming, and hopefully as a CD sooner than later. Breaking it down, as mentioned, Sponge moved labels to put out New Pop Sunday in 1999, and as a result some tracks from those original sessions were shelved. Fortunately, founding Lead Vocalist/Songwriter Vinnie Dombroski held onto those tapes all these years. As a result, he was able to join up with Sound City Records to finally release them for curious fans to check out.
In all the collection consists of 10 tracks; 4 held over from the original New Pop Sunday album, and 6 more that have never seen the light of day. Among the unreleased material, there are some very interesting tunes that include must-hears like “Today Tomorrow” and “Come In From The Rain.” There are also other very catchy tracks amidst this grouping like “Get Down,” “Assume The Position,” and “Imaginary Marriage” (which was in fact released as a digital single back in 2022). Joining them, “Let’s Get Together” as well as “Chameleon” are also enjoyable listens, joining up easily recognized cuts like “Pollyanna” and, of course, “Planet Girls.”
Overall, the fact that Vinnie Dombroski was able to go back to his personal archives to dust off some worthy songs to put out there is a great proposition for Sponge fans. It is a listening experience that bridges the gap between the first era of Sponge in the ‘90s and the 2000s as they moved forward. Speaking of which, it has been nearly three years since Sponge released Lavatorium in 2021… so let us hope new material is in the works. Also, if you were unaware, the band also put out the track “Love & Sandwiches” digitally in 2022; a B-side from the Rotting Piñata sessions, and an absolute must listen. In the end the newly released Planet Girls is a lost album that should be found, because Cryptic Rock gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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