Best known as a "go-to" studio producer, Seattle's Aaron Sprinkle steps to center stage for a second time as the creative mastermind of Fair, an impressive, unpretentious band whose sophomore album Disappearing World arrives February 9 (Tooth and Nail). With a boyish voice and sumptuous, surprisingly deep grab bag of punchy, melody-packed songs, Sprinkle inhabits his World with gloriously rendered styles that straddle old-school bright, jangling "new wave" and modern indie/pop smarts. It's a rare delight when an album sheds its stylistic inhibitions with such unabashed verve and confidence.

“Musically I wanted to really tap into my influences, which are mostly ‘60s and ‘70s and lot of ‘80s too,” says Sprinkle. “And that’s really the feel of this record -- a lot of very retro moments wearing those influences on our sleeve.” There's much to like here, but we're particularly fond of the lavish, gorgeously hooky title track and propulsive kick of "One Last Time", both near-perfect examples of the past gracefully and forcefully bumping up against the present. Recommended.

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Fair - "Disappearing World" (from the album Disappearing World)