Aaron Sprinkle is a producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and all around ball of energy whose enthusiasm, passion and creativity has resulted in startlingly vibrant collaborations with a host of influential trailblazers, including Anberlin, The Almost, Emery, Hawk Nelson, Kutless, Thousand Foot Krutch and MxPx,
Aaron’s considerable chops, diverse tastes, well-rounded experience and technical knowhow as leader of his own groups like Poor Old Lu and Fair have informed the contributions he’s made to the countless albums treasured by fans around the world, from platinum selling acts like the worshipful wordsmith Jeremy Camp to critically acclaimed “band’s band” outfits like the pioneering Acceptance. Groups like Demon Hunter, whose devoted following regularly tattoo the band’s symbols and lyrics on themselves, count Aaron as something of an extra “member” due to his long-running and deeply rooted participation in their careers. Dipping his hands into indie releases from Damien Jurado, Eisley and Pedro The Lion and going full-bore into his solo albums (playing almost every instrument imaginable), any level of participation from Aaron Sprinkle will guarantee a vibrant piece of art.
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A Beautiful Balance Of Emotion| Posted December 30, 2013
I’ve been around Christian music long enough to know that in order to fully appreciate the landscape; it’s required that I have mad-respect for Aaron Sprinkle. Behind the soundboard and in the studio as producer and songwriter, the man is a beast, pretty much getting his hands dirty in almost every genre on the majority of Tooth & Nail’s/BEC Recordings’ releases throughout the past two decades. A quick look at his Wiki profile will show you this guy knows music and is incredibly adept and diverse. But as an artist? His bands Poor Old Lu, Rose Blossom Punch and Fair came and went for me. And his four previous solo releases were small blips on my radar. The man is a massive workhorse, but until now, his own musical endeavors were a bit too quirky and on the fringe for my taste.
So it really surprises me that I’m sitting here, writing about one of my favorite albums of the year from none other than Aaron Sprinkle.
Water & Guns, is a bright and happy pop record. It’s full of bouncy synth leads, syncopated, and programmed drums, light choruses that float by themselves and instantly singable melodies. And all of it performed by Sprinkle himself (think Owl City and The Rocket Summer). But when you start to dig into the lyrics, you find the yang to the musical ying. Lyrics like “All my hope lies here / Six feet down with fear” on “Whisper Something.” “I’m feeling borrowed, feeling blue / You didn’t notice, shame on you” on “Can’t Last Forever.” “When your life rips at the seams / When it seems like the worst is really happening / When you can’t see the light / It’ll be alright” on “It’ll Be Alright.” In fact, I could just post almost every line to every song. Aaron is struggling with quite a bit lyrically, yet we’re dancing through a field of flowers on a clear blue sky. This is musical bipolarity at its best, but what’s really going on?
“I want to relate to people,” says Sprinkle. “I wanted to be honest, both musically and lyrically. I’ve realized that every time I’ve been brutally honest in an intimate setting, I’ve never been greeted poorly. This is what I like, this is how I feel, this is who I am.”
Closing Thoughts:
This album is a beautiful accomplishment for an artist that has been around as long as Aaron has. Aaron’s lyrics deal with a full range of human emotion. They speak of grace and blessings surrounded by sin and death. They tell stories of perseverance through trail. They are filled with a desperation for relief from all-consuming struggles. In other-words, the address real life. But what I love is that, as believers, we are allowed to experience the full range of emotions that God has given us, under the context of a bright and sunny love that continually shines down upon us from above. Every day is new, and the sky is blue and the birds are singing. It’s that full picture that I believe Aaron set out to paint. He not only relies on the lyric to tell his story, but he allows the music to complete the full picture and balance the life so many of us truely stumble through.
Sprinkle Delivers Yet Again| Posted September 30, 2013
Indeed, Water & Guns contains some of Sprinkle's best work. Casual listeners may recognize his name as the producer of artists such as TFK, Falling Up, Kutless, Relient K, Underoath, Anberlin, Jeremy Camp, and many others.
The album starts off strong, with most of the songs focusing on a more beat-driven synth-pop style than on his pervious works. The lyrics are well-designed, coming across in a beautiful simplistic manner. From the happy-go lucky "Alright" to the defined "Turn Around" until to closing of "So Contagious," this album strikes pure gold.
Song recommendations: Alright, River of Lead, Turn Around, Giving up the Gun.
Water & Guns| Posted September 24, 2013 You really should buy the fifth album, Water & Gunsby Aaron Sprinkle. This worshipper will make you praise with his songs. And you really need to listen to his music. Let's adore Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Pretty Good Solo Effort From Producer Extraordinare Aaron Sprinkle| Posted September 24, 2013
Aaron Sprinkle has made quite a name for himself in the past 15 years. He has produced some of Christian rock's most well known albums and has put bands in the spotlight. Did you know that he also has been a part of two different bands and does solo work? I haven't heard any of his Poor Old Lu stuff, I have only listened to a bit of Fair, (which is a bit slow for my taste,) and I haven't heard any of his solo works. Until now. While listening to this album I noticed that it has a faster pace to it and contains some of that Fair-like alternative vibe which I enjoyed a lot. You can also notice that his years of producing have had a positive effect on the album. Everything is finely tuned and crisp. It's easy to listen to. Aaron's voice fits really well with the alternative rock feel of the album. There were some songs that did feel a bit slow in pace to me, but otherwise, Water & Guns is a pretty good album overall.
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