Aaron Sprinkle is the greatest one-man band in the world. He continues to play everything but drums on The Kindest Days, his sophomore solo effort. It's far more consistent than his last album and finds him in a mostly mellow mood. Acoustic strumming with little picked riffs is his sound of choice, with some swells of Rose Blossom Punch lite distortion and a revival of the latter-day Poor Old Lu vibe on a couple songs.
Most of the songs are drenched-in-dreaminess, slow-tempo sleepers; superb melodies sung in that unique silky smooth voice with a pinch of rasp and a hint of helium. Sprinkle spins magic tales of characters and relationships, including himself. The lyrics to "Useless" stick in my mind most:
But the little boy I used to be
he had a conscience you could see
and he held it in his hand
he did not understand
that he would soon be me/free
Hovering high above in almost every track is a great, slow '70s guitar solo that moans or hums or floats for a bit before evaporating. In fact, Sprinkle unconsciously borrows many of his beats, rhythms, licks, and sounds from countless classic rock/pop radio songs. But he does it in the good way--not enough to be a rip off, but more than enough for these songs to sound like old friends you've listened to and loved for a couple decades.
Other coverage for this album
Bandoppler 2000Reviewed by Earl CampbellThe Poor Old Lu and Rose Blossom Punch vet brings us his second solo-project, The Kindest Days, quickly on the heels of last year's standout singer/songwriter pop surprise Moontraveler. His style is cemented, and the growth within that style is apparent on this disc. Stronger melodies, catchier hooks, smarter sentiments, braver progressions, and that voice – that sweet, dreamy, sensitive male…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Israel KlossOrganic. It's a good label for Aaron Sprinkle's music. It's also a good description of his music. Organic. It's a good play on the lush green home state of Organic Records, Oregon. Lush is a good description of Aaron Sprinkle's sound, and his latest album, The Kindest Days, is no exception. By using fewer loops and non-unique melodies, this album exceeds the moody sounds of Sprinkle's previous…Similar sounding releases
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