Sparks released 'Exotic Creatures of the Deep, their 21st album, in 2008. It's stylistically similar to 'Hello Young Lovers' and 'Lil' Beethoven' in being piano and vocal driven with both orchestral and guitar driven arrangement. The backing band consist of the same drummer and guitarist, Tammy Glover and Dean Menta, as the previous two LPs. It seems a more structured collection, although the subject matter of the songs is as diverse and lopsided as usual. There seems to be a concept in that there is an intro that is repeated at the start of both (notional) sides and completed with the last track 'Likeable', so it's possibly something about fame and popularity. The single 'Lighten Up, Morrissey' is a good humoured poke at the titular singer with a sound similar to his more recent music which was, of course, taken the wrong way, but it probably wasn't helped much by the video. Or the lyrics. I think that's the most significant thing about the LP: the lyrics have caught up with the adventurousness of the vocal arrangements, and the record conveys a sense of fun. The alternative sleeves carry that on, with a chimpanzee replacing each of the brothers in different pictures.