Arcane Airoplane, the solo brainchild of Jon Agen, finally lets Spark In The Dark see daylight, and it feels like opening a time capsule that somehow knows exactly where you are now. Dropped that August 29, 2025, this debut album is steeped in nostalgia but never stuck there. It goes beyond to the personal, to the hard-earned, and the subtly defiant, as an alternative-indie-rock-pop blend shaped over two decades and polished with careโno shortcuts.
The backstory matters here, because these songs trace back to Agenโs early twenties, before a severe and nearly fatal mold poisoning forced him away from music altogether. Years later, after walking away from a tech career, he returned to old lyrics and chord progressions from the early 2000s, rewriting and reshaping them with the clarity of survival. The result isnโt retro for the sake of itโitโs the sound of someone reclaiming a part of himself.
Every note on Spark In The Dark is written, played, produced, mixed, and mastered by Agen himself, with the lone exception being the aching cello and violin on โI Will Still Love You,โ performed by The Healy Sisters. That song stretches past the ten-minute mark, opening with jittery, light percussion before settling into a calm, intimate space. Agen sings softly at first, then with growing intensity, pouring out lines without pause, like emotion spilling faster than breath.
The album opens with โMerry Single Jingles,โ which fades in on an operatic, almost spellbinding choir before a lively rhythm section kicks things into motion. Shimmery textures swirl around as Agenโs high, soothing voice glides effortlessly, setting the albumโs warm, human tone. Later, By the time โUnder the Sunโ rolls around, bustling beats and melodic riffs lift the mood, anchored by the simple, inviting line, โRun away with me today, we will have some fun.โ
Rooted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and influenced by everyone from The Beatles, Bowie, and The Clash to The Strokes, Spark In The Dark feels immersive and intentional, because real instruments, real stories, and real patience still hit hardest, especially when they come from someone who fought his way back to the music.
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Review by: Naomi Joan