Fair is a new band that is by no means comprised of unfamiliar names. Both Aaron Sprinkle (guitar, vocals) and Nick Barber (bass) were each members of the groundbreaking Poor Old Lu. Fair’s music may be surprising to some listeners, however, especially if your only exposure to Sprinkle can be traced back to old Poor Old Lu records, or if you’re a fan of his hard rock production work with contemporary acts like Kutless. That’s because orchestral pop is the fairest stylistic assessment of The Best Worst-Case Scenario. Sprinkle was the electric guitar architect for Poor Old Lu. His string work with Fair is more selective and strategic, however, unlike the expansive sonics he created for Poor Old Lu’s grunge-y power surges. One track, titled “Pause,” is distinctive for its insistent piano rhythms, rather than any of its axe work. “Get You Out Alive” throws both glockenspiel and pedal steel into the mix, which decisively separates it from anything Poor Old Lu ever laid down, while “Cut Down Sideways” rocks rhythmically, and nicely predictably, much like retro ’80s New Wave. As suggested by this CD’s title, the overall lyrical impression left by these songs is a feeling of cautious optimism. “No matter where you go,” Sprinkle sings at one point, “I’ll get you out alive.” In other words, even though it’s going to be a rough ride, we’ll get there in one piece.
[Tooth & Nail] Dan Macintosh
This album review was originally published in the July/August Issue (#120) of HM Magazine. Order the Print Version now to read tons more album reviews.
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Fair...hmmm...they're new and doing really well but the only song that catches my attention is Carelessness.
Doesn't Aaron Sprinkle play guitar for like every tooth and nail band?
He does session work for a lot of them, yes. And he is a prolific producer. He had a solo album a couple years ago also.
