Tobin Sprout: Moonflower Plastic (Welcome To My Wigwam)

Former Guided By Voices multi-instrumentalist Tobin Sprout released his first solo album, Carnival Boy, on the same day as the first solo album from former bandmate Robert Pollard, leading to inevitable comparisons between the two. Fortunately, Carnival Boy was strong enough to establish Sprout as a formidable solo artist, if not distinctive enough to distance him fully from his former band. Meanwhile, GBV under Pollard and his new backing band has gone on to achieve a crisp, classically "rock" sound, leaving the more low-fidelity, introspective material to Sprout. Moonflower Plastic finds Sprout taking up the task enthusiastically. A restrained, low-key effort, the album will disappoint fans expecting more pop material along the lines of "It's Like Soul Man." It's very much a complete piece, with no songs noticeably asserting their individuality. Moody and occasionally bordering on the maudlin, as on "Angels Hang Their Socks On The Moon," Moonflower Plastic still succeeds thanks to Sprout's thoughtful songwriting and impressive musicianship (he plays nearly all the instruments). While not the breakout piece Sprout always seems on the verge of delivering—it's unlikely to put to rest comparisons to Pollard—Moonflower Plastic continues to prove that the GBV collective produced more than one star.