Queen of Austin rock, Sabrina Ellis, elicits more shock and awe with her coquettish and racy lyrics than a Vietnam bombing campaign could ever hope for. Sabrina fronts the power pop band Sweet Spirit, who just dropped their sophomore album, St. Mojo, earlier this month. While Sweet Spirit’s local momentum is at a fever pitch, a national tour may bring the rest of the country up to speed with Austin. The latest single "Pamela" is a perfect ode to Baywatch goddess, Pam Anderson, and the slow motion video shoot is an apt tribute to a woman who is ingrained in our collective memory, running in slow motion on a beach wearing a red bathing suit. "I’ve been around the world and never have a found a girl like Pamela!…Anderson!" is the building chorus that Ellis repeats like a mantra, while the band crashes through the track with their signature exhilirating gusto. The song is an earworm, and the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, allowing the listener to join in the fun without hesitation. Sweet Spirit’s trajectory has never had more acclivity, and songs like "Pamela" will continue to win the hearts and minds of all those deprived of having seen Sweet Spirit in action.
-Lee Ackerley