speed of dark

I guess most people who even know Tobin Sprout exists knew him first from the legendary Ohio group Guided By Voices. As often happens with me because of my isolation from any up-to-date music scene, I came to the knowledge backwards.

I was not familiar with GBV when I first heard Sprout's "And So On" on CMJ's 1999 compilation CD which I have no idea now how I got. I fell completely in love with this little song and tried desperately and unsuccessfully for a long time to find out more about the singer.

It was only after I bought a couple of GBV albums and read the insert notes that I found out Sprout's association with them. Still, there was little else I could find until I suddenly discovered a few years ago that iTunes now has much of his discography. eMusic has his first two albums, and Amazon how has a selection as well.

Sprout in GBV has been likened to George Harrison in the Beatles. A band songwriter, Sprout took a back seat to Robert Pollard the same way Harrison was overshadowed by the brilliance of the Lennon-McCartney team. Speaking for myself, I probably would have liked GBV better if Sprout had been more in the forefront. Pollard's tunes do not hit me as consistently. Instead, by 1997 Sprout had almost completely removed himself from the band to work solo musically and to spend more time on his painting, which may be where he focuses artistically even more than music.

I like so much of Sprout's work that I am going to focus this post only on his second solo album, Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wig Wam)", which contains a large portion of the songs I like best. The first, Carnival Boy (1996) was released before Sprout parted from GBV.

Like GBV songs, the lyrics often seem nonsensical, chosen more for their mouth feel than for specific meaning. To really appreciate the songs, you must let go of the idea that the words have to make sense and allow yourself to fall into the larger picture of the song. The melodies and rich guitar layers provide an easier avenue for entry than the lyrics. Then the tunes plus words mold your mood, but your thoughts are free to assign whatever meanings come to you.

The first song, "Get Out of My Throat" is as much an angry demand as it sounds, and in that way it is unique on the album.

"Paper Cut" was the first to pull me in. If I could play guitar, I would want to play thick, rich, open chords just like these. Its pace is stately and controlled. Words like "alabaster canteen" are obviously chosen because of how they fill up your mouth when you say them. But they also flash images on your mind: white-rock-cold-hard-water-filled. Whatever meaning(s) you get comes from those subconcious flashes.

Next was "Beast of Souls" which sounds homey and comforting with its line "Lean this way then another/Marvin's in the kitchen cooking up something right."

"All Used Up," to me, is about knowing you did all you could and having the faith to go forward from there. I find it a very inspiring song.
Been turning all night
I let my standards release this awkward closure 'cause
I did my time
I dealt my deal
You know it's alright

Longing for a simpler life infuses "Since I..." and gives us a taste of Tobin's piano talents. "Curious Things" returns to a thicker, darker sound with its overdriven bass. "Exit Planes" has driving engines and a theme of escaping "this dammit world."

While I love Sprout's stuff mainly for the guitar work, the piano-based tunes on this album ("Moonflower Plastic" and "Water On the Boater's Back") that are so lovely and different from the guitar-based songs that I want to talk about them in a different post. I'm also saving some of my other favorite Sprout songs, like "To My Beloved Martha" from Carnival Boy and my first and best love "And So On" for a later time and go into his more recent endeavors. I love almost everything he's done, and I still have a lot to say about Tobin Sprout.

From Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wig Wam)" (1997)
Paper Cut
All Used Up
Since I...

Stream more at this fan MySpace
Buy: iTunes | eMusic | Amazon.com

Information Sources:
Website | Wikipedia | Steve Albini Thinks We Suck interview (1997) | Matador Records
GBV Database Site: Lyrics | Concert posters