You might recognize Aaron Sprinkle as the former guitarist for poor old lu, or more recently as the vocalist and guitarist for Rose Blossom Punch. But until you've heard his new solo debut, Moontraveler, it's a safe bet you have yet to hear his best. The album is a bittersweet collection of 10 songs filled with melancholy and poignant disclosures of one man's personal struggle with sin and redemption.
The album's message is summed up in "Solace." I can't decide if You're the missing piece buried in my mind/ Immersed in sand I try to reach, try to take Your hand/ And it makes me ill the way You love me still/ Solace came with a drop of blood and a taste of shame/ When You took my turn, You struck a match and you let it burn.
For his solo effort, Aaron has forsaken the hook-laden guitar-crunching pop of his previous bands' efforts and opted for a more stripped-down acoustic palette of sounds. But have no fear. This album still rocks like anything Sprinkle has lent his hand to. The result is a wistful blend of Jason Faulkner-ish simplicity meshed with the alternative flair of Beck or Mike Knott. Regardless of the influences Sprinkle draws from, the results are like powerful grenades of lyrical confession lobbed into the heart that explode with passion and brutal sincerity.