Aaron Sprinkle
Lackluster
Released: 2004
CDN $15.95 + shipping and handling

Amidst Poor Old Lu's brief 2002 reunion and his duties as a go-to producer and mixer for the Tooth & Nail collective, Aaron Sprinkle was also issuing solo albums. Unfortunately, they were usually on tiny labels with crap distribution. Sprinkle and Tooth & Nail have remedied that problem with Lackluster, wrapping 13 previously released tracks and one new song into a polite indie pop bundle that's both an introduction for the curious and a boon to longtime fans tired of tracking Sprinkle's elusive back catalog. Considering its hodgepodge status, Lackluster works pretty well as a cohesive album. Elliott Smith's touch for syrupy, sometimes dirgelike pop is a big touchstone here, but Sprinkle's literate little songs are much more hopeful, rarely losing their grip on bright sunshine. Even the lilting, harmonica-led "Colorblind" is relentlessly cheery. "You are leaving me and taking everything," he sings, but you get the impression the song's subjects will come to their senses and live happily ever after. Actually, with his classicist songwriting style (check the warm organ breaks and pretty chorus of "Really Something") and consistently tasteful production, Sprinkle's work seems most reminiscent of a guy like Michael Penn. Their personal feelings and relations are put faithfully into the music. But they each let the song -- not the emotion -- be the guide. This isn't self-loathing music -- even if there's some soul-searching, in the end it's just made to feel good. Highlights include "Not About To," the introspective acoustic number "Boy Who Stopped the World," and the new track "Pillbox," with its dreamy organ and rousing chorus. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

[01] solace
[02] i wish i were you
[03] antennae's wife
[04] not all bad
[05] a friend i had
[06] mae
[07] what sorry could be
[08] all in a day's work
[09] a step ahead
[10] motor cars

Moontraveler, [a brilliant debut], is mostly mid-tempo and irony-free, and the production is clean. Not only that, it doesn't shy away from such critically taboo material as human emotion, AND it's primarily built around Sprinkle's beautiful-yet-just-so-slightly-edgy vocals and keen sense of melody. But whether he's working within a simple acoustic-based setting ("A Friend I Had"), rocking out ("Antennae's Wife"), or veering into drum 'n' bass-inspired territory ("A Step Ahead"), Sprinkle has unusual flair and a unique sense of phrasing that keeps things interesting and refreshing throughout, and marks this young songwriter as one to watch. - The Stranger

Aaron Sprinkle
The Kindest Days
Released: 2000
CDN $16.95 + shipping and handling

Aaron Sprinkle is a DIY kinda guy. Sprinkle produces and records his records himself and plays all the instruments except drums. A Seattle native, Sprinkle's resume includes the indie-rock combo Poor Old Lu and the side project pop band Rose Blossom Punch with drummer Paul Mumaw, who's now in Saltine with once and future Posie Ken Stringfellow. Indeed the album's title track sounds a bit like the Posies' acoustic pop side. Sprinkle is at his best on tracks like "Not About To" and the Matthew Sweet-like "My Own Chapter." And if his voice takes a little getting used to, Sprinkle's undeniable musical abilities keep things sonically interesting. Elsewhere, "So Discreet" visits moodier territory. It's a piano ballad that crashes into a late period Beatles-style guitar workout. The bulk of the tunes on The Kindest Days do an excellent job of putting the breadth of his talent on fine display. - Sean Slone