There's a difference between melodic punk and pop-punk to me. Lost Love falls under the former because they're doing more than making catchy anthems and songs that'll have you forgetting them when the record's over. They're rough-cut and pouring their hearts out through their debut album in Sparkles, but with a neat grit and unpolished finish that borders perfectly with the DIY/indie mission statements.

The majority of the record's so explosive and feisty. "Rooftops/Fireworks" and "Breaking Good" are primary examples of this. Edgy riffs, huge hooks and melodic sprawls help cancel out the poppy factor, which don't get me wrong, does creep up at intervals. However, Lost Love, as cheesy as they get at times, feel comfortable in their own skin and it's an altruistic bit of punk for ya. Daring and bold yet nothing to reinvent the wheel.

That does work against them at times because a few tracks do come off with minimal impact and you're left wishing that they did try something groundbreaking. But overall, there's a lot of energy and solid musicianship from the Montreal youths to sink your teeth into. "Oh My Snare!" in its dearth of whoa-ohs adds so much flavor especially when it closes off with a chorus made for '80s rockers that pays tributes to a band that helped put the fun in rock n' roll. I won't spoil much here but let me just say that in its simplicity Sparkles does shine. No pun intended. Vibrant and worth the pickup. And a record that pays homage to so many rock sub-genres.