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Tobin Sprout:
Lost Planets and Phantom Voices
Tobin Sprout is best known for his work with the seminal indie-rock band Guided By Voices, but with Lost Planets & Phantom Voices (his first proper solo album in three years), its safe to say that he has moved onand not just from that band, but in the game of life itself. Sprout, a singer/songwriter with an airy, pleasing voice tinged with melancholy, comes off as a man content with his existence, but one who doesnt pretend to have the answers either. The songs are simultaneously retro and timeless, calling upon rocks everlasting figures. The opener, Indian Ink evokes the primal urges of the immortal Velvet Underground, and Rub Your Buddha Tummy is akin to a bubble-gum Velvets. Doctor #8 is cryptic, and with a flowing, John Lennon-esque chorus, seemingly effortless, while Cleansing from the Storm is instantly recognizable. Courage the Tack, with its basic instrumentation, simple chords and overlapping hooks, sounds like classic Sprout. Martini and Fortunes Theme No. 1 are surprisingyet far from intrusiveinstrumental interludes that serve as previews to his upcoming score for the film Fortunes. Catch the Sun and All Those Things Weve Done are nods to his past, of days gone by that cant be grasped again. Theres a theme of salvation here, of walking away from the times (both good and bad), and emerging stronger, wiser. It makes one long for the place Sprout has found on Lost Planets & Phantom Voices.
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