In 2017, Aaron Sprinkle released Real Life, his last release on Tooth & Nail Records. The legendary producer had released solo work sporadically since the ‘90s; however, being the go-to producer for some of the most successful bands in Alternative and Hard Christian Rock was time-consuming, and Sprinkle felt that producing great records was more successful than trying to promote a solo career. Sprinkle’s production always felt cutting-edge when he recorded, whether for Anberlin, Acceptance, Demon Hunter, Falling Up, or a host of other bands. Real Life, however, feels very 2017. Today, let's explore the album, track by track.
1. Invincible kicks off the album with that 2017 electronic sound. Featuring Poema’s Elle Puckett contributing a spoken-word/ rap part, the song sounds nothing like what you’d expect from either artist. The lyrics seem to be the speaker coming to realize that he is not invincible. Puckett tries to convince the first speaker that he never needed to be invincible. The song sets the tone for the album of dreams that didn’t work out, but ultimately it's about redefining dreams for a new future.
2. “Washed Up” isn’t a particular stand-out track, despite being the second track. Unlike the first track, though, the synth feels more like a classic ‘90s sound. The speaker of the song wishes to be “washed up on the shore” rather than fighting with the tides of the ocean. In Sprinkle’s interviews from this time, particularly on Labeled and BadChristian, now Songs and Stories, we have some context that Sprinkle had been dealing with the struggles of a shrinking music industry. Production budgets shrunk, but producers still had to deliver quality albums. Real Life is a walking away album, and Sprinkle is trying something new, but he ultimately feels “washed up.”
3. “Never Alone” is a catchy pop song. It feels like it’s missing something to make it a great song. Maybe it’s the programmed drums on “Head back down to Easy Street” that could have been replaced with real drums to make the song come to life. “Never Alone” is repetitive in a kind of annoying 2017 way. The bridge’s harmonies feel like an early ‘90s song. The lyrics add to the theme of the album, encouragement during the uncertain times.
4. “Real Life” starts off with Eisley’s Sherri DuPree Bemis singing the hook. Her husband, Max Bemis of Say Anything also contributes to the chorus of the song. The song is clunky--the lyrics don’t really flow. The bombastic “Chainsmokers” sound doesn’t really work. It’s a shame, too, not only because it's the namesake of the album, but it’s a waste of a collaboration. The verses are just a series of dependent clauses that don’t say much. Sherri sings “Save my birthright ‘til I’m feeling up again,” presumably alluding to scripture, but what does it mean? My poor interpretation of the song is that the lyrics are the voices inside the speaker’s head. Sherri represents the wild idea that you can push pause on your life. Aaron brings back the voice of reasoning that “This is real life” and we can’t do that. Max sings “This is real life as I capsize,” perhaps meaning that being brought back to the fact that “this is real life” triggers a catastrophizing response.
5. “Not Listening” isn’t a song I come back to. It’s not lyrically interesting, and it’s musically simple. The best part of the song is the synths decorating the song between the choruses and the verses.
6. “Someday.” I talked about this song back in 2021, so I’ll link to the discussion there. While Memphis May Fire and Matty Mullins’ career was post-Tooth & Nail golden age, the recent announcement that Mullins would be touring as Anberlin’s touring singer in 2024 only grafts the singer more into the Sprinkle-verse.
7. “Steady” brings back the retro synths. It’s one of the better tracks on the album, but not particularly interesting. The bridge is probably the best part of the song.
8. “I Don’t Know Who You Are” features singer Stephanie Skipper, best known for appearing on the 14th season of The Voice. Before she appeared on the show, she released albums on Gotee Records. She also is part of the duet Copperlily with her husband, Tim Skipper, best known as the bassist for House of Heroes.
The song is not very memorable on the album, though.
9. “Step Here” is my favorite track on the album. I talked about the song last November. It is the song that most reminds me of a ‘90s computer game, and with the orchestra hit, it makes me think of some of the music from my mom’s ‘90s Yamaha keyboard.
10. “Wander” is another one of my favorites. The song’s composition and melody is quite a bit simpler than any of the other songs on the album, but it’s a kind of necessary reprieve. The lyrics are perhaps the best on the album, using concrete images rather than platitudes. It’s also maybe the darkest track on the album, with the chorus: “You thought we were together / You hoped we made it through / But my mind will always wander / Wander back to you.” The line break at “wander” leading into “Wander back to you” adds some room for doubt.
1. Invincible kicks off the album with that 2017 electronic sound. Featuring Poema’s Elle Puckett contributing a spoken-word/ rap part, the song sounds nothing like what you’d expect from either artist. The lyrics seem to be the speaker coming to realize that he is not invincible. Puckett tries to convince the first speaker that he never needed to be invincible. The song sets the tone for the album of dreams that didn’t work out, but ultimately it's about redefining dreams for a new future.
Comments
Post a Comment