When the esteemed Mr. Hewitt and I were in high school, we wrote for the school paper, which came out with roughly the same frequency as No Ugly Babies. The good captain wrote music reviews and occasionally delved into sports and other features, while my main focus was sports. Music reviews weren’t strictly Lane’s territory, however, even though he was by far the best at reviewing new releases by such revered bands as Kix and L.A. Guns. This was clear when other staffers would try their hand at reviewing new records. One journalist-to-be (who, to my knowledge, ended up not being a journalist) once reviewed a new Nelson record and included the line, "If you like the kind of music Nelson plays, then you’ll like After The Rain."
Such a statement was ridiculed both then and now. But in retrospect, I can almost see the reasoning behind the verdict. And so it’s with a heavy heart (and my defenses up) that I’ll start out this review by stating that if you like Tobin Sprout’s previous albums, then you’ll like Let’s Welcome The Circus People.
No, dammit, I’m not comparing Toby to Nelson, not by any stretch. But what is there to say about this record that hasn’t been said about Sprout’s earlier releases?
The former Guided by Voices co-conspirator, who now makes his home in sunny Michigan, recently teased us with Wax Nails (reviewed here in NUB #4), an EP that further established Sprout as part of the ruling class of matchless pop songcraft, a designation first secured with his first two solo discs, Carnival Boy and Moonflower Plastic. Circus People is more of the same.
The gloomy "Smokey Joe’s Perfect Hair" launches this record, a penumbrant tune that could conceivably be the soundtrack for a merry-go-round from hell. After the opener, though, Sprout reverts to his trademark gently, blatantly inoffensive pop that’s become his calling card.
Like ex-bandmate Robert Pollard, Sprout has discovered an ability to rework older material into something new, even if the new songs give your ears cause to believe you’ve heard them somewhere before. "Digging Up Wooden Teeth" features a vocal hook eerily reminiscent of Moonflower Plastic’s "Exit Planes", while "Who’s Adolescence" is a second cousin of that record’s "Little Bit Of Dread" sans wah pedal.
Still, Circus People is more than a rewrite of Sprout’s previous works; in addition to the aforementioned "Smokey Joe", there are other new treasures to be found here. "Liquor Bag" is cotton candy for the ears, dancey fluff that makes you think The Cars have reunited. "Making A Garden" seems to be almost a "Waltz #3" or something of the like. It’s all in good fun.
If Tobin Sprout were a basketball player, he’d be the seventh or eighth man – he’s not going to carry a team to the championship, but his contributions are still vital to a team’s success. You’d definitely miss him if he were gone, and I for one miss his presence alongside Pollard, but in the here and now, he’s here, and like his former teammate, his gifts are numerous and should be appreciated.
--Brandon Grimes