It's not all that surprising that
Tobin Sprout's solo debut,
Carnival Boy, sounds remarkably similar to
Guided by Voices.
Sprout was as responsible for
GBV's lo-fi, jangly art-rock as
Robert Pollard, helping push his partner toward the group's distinctive sound. Like
Under the Bushes Under the Stars, the
GBV album that was released six months prior to
Sprout's album,
Carnival Boy has a brighter sound than the band's early records, due to slightly more sophisticated recording equipment and a more unified sense of purpose. Even though
Sprout has a bit more focus than
Pollard,
Carnival Boy is still hit-and-miss, featuring as many rough pop gems as outright duds, but it does confirm that he is a talented songwriter in his own right. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine