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For many years Aaron Sprinkle was known as being the guitar player for Christian alternative rock band Poor Old Lu. Since then he has moved on to produce albums for several bands and start a solo career of his own. Sadly, few people realize that Aaron Sprinkle has released three albums thus far in his career: Moontraveler, The Kindest Days, and Bareface. Now Sprinkle has signed to Tooth & Nail where he should find much better distribution. Lackluster is his first release on this label.

Those who are unfamiliar with Aaron Sprinkle are definitely in for a treat with Lackluster. The album compiles some of his best work from his first three releases, plus a brand new song. Many of the songs are re-mixed and one has new vocals. For the newcomer, the standout tracks will be abundant as virtually every song is a musical treat from this rootsy, intelligent songwriter. Most of the tracks use acoustic guitar, but also feature a full band.

For the longtime Aaron Sprinkle listener, it may be a bit more difficult to justify making the purchase of this album with only one song that he hasn't been released before. For me, the album served as a great reminder of why I liked Sprinkle's music in the first place. The official count is four songs from Moontraveler("Solace," "Not All Bad," "A Friend I Had," and "What Sorry Could Be"), three songs from The Kindest Days ("The Kindest Days," "Not About To," and "Genevieve"), six songs from Bareface ("Really Something," "Sweeter Than Me," "All You Can Give," "Colorblind," "Let Me In," and "The Boy Who Stopped the World"), and one new song ("Pillbox"). Of course, it can be argued that several great songs from the past were overlooked here, but this isn't necessarily a best of.

As I understand it, the chief purpose of Lackluster is to get Aaron Sprinkle into a broader market. The songs found on here should be just what the doctor ordered to hook new listeners to Sprinkle's original, honest work. 

Trae Cadenhead 3/7/2004
 
 

Okay, by now you have read the name Aaron Sprinkle on several of the CDs in your collection like Kutless and Thousand Foot Krutch. You might even know that he and his brother Jesse started the now defunct band, Poor Old Lu in the mid '90's. 

What you may not know is that Aaron Sprinkle has a vibrant recording career as well. Didn’t know that? Well, don’t feel bad. Sprinkle himself must have realized his music was somewhat of an unknown commodity since he has recently release "Lackluster" for Tooth and Nail Records. Basically it is a compilation from past independent albums on labels that have gone under, places he didn’t fit or companies that didn’t know what to do with him. 

A Greatest Hits package? Not exactly. Sprinkle has never had a hit of his own. But with seven solo albums and appearances on as many compilations, he have given us some really wonderful songs. As much as we dislike musical descriptions, we could can his music Emo/modern rock.  Equally adept with a full rock band or an acoustic guitar, Sprinkle often melancholy sound belies the basically optimistic lyrical view in many of his songs. 

In finest Petty-like rhythm, the opening track ‘Really Something’ states this quite well:

Some days I actually forget that this is really something/one smile from You and that this it/It is really something/this is  really something good.

Throughout Lackluster, Sprinkle shares everyday feelings so wonderfully simple, honest, and childlike that it is easy to feel like we met a friend here. 

"Sweeter Than Me" with its Neil Young acoustic intro and haunting steel guitar, offers a boost of self esteem to a hurting friend. ‘You’re much sweeter than me by far/you’re much stronger than me by far.’

So if you are up for a little  thinking, looking for a new musical friend or just want to be entertained. And don’t ;et the name Lackluster fool you. It isn’t.

Bob Felberg  5/8/2004
WVOF New Creation Radio