Waiting Room

Poor Old Lu | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 5, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tooth & Nail Records
• ASIN: B00006JJ41
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Indie Music > Christian & Gospel > Alternative

Editorial Reviews

Waiting Room

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The wait is over!!, September 25, 2002

By 

zoomdaddy (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waiting Room (Audio CD)

After a six year hiatus (during which the group had officially disbanded), Poor Old Lu has returned with a wonderfully cohesive collection of songs that won't fail to satisfy both the longtime fan as well as the many new listeners sure to be introduced to this band through "The Waiting Room".

Poor Old Lu formed in 1991 in Seattle, Washington, and "Mindsize", their 1993 label debut for Alarma Records, immediately set them apart from the rest of the emerging Seattle scene with a wonderfully unique sound that was impossible to get out of your head. Over the course of the next three years, Poor Old Lu continued to grew musically and artistically and recorded two additional full length records (1994's "Sin" and 1996's "A Picture of the Eighth Wonder") and one EP (1995's "Straight Six") for Alarma Records. Shortly after the release of "A Picture of the Eighth Wonder", the band officially split up, even going so far as to record and release their "...Final Performance" (1998, KMG Records).

To the delight of fans, the members of Poor Old Lu have done anything but stagnate over the past several years. Guitarist Aaron Sprinkle has been actively producing and engineering many records, not the least of which are the five recordings he's made solo or with Bassist Nick Barber as Rose Blossom Punch. Drummer Jesse Sprinkle has also been actively recording, and, in addition to playing drums for Morella's Forest, he has produced two records and an EP with his own New York-based band, The World Inside. Lead Singer Scott Hunter hasn't been recording, but his lyrical and vocal contributions evidence the same maturation as the rest of the band. Musically, this band continues to shine. Bravely experimenting with new sounds and techniques, Poor Old Lu challenges listeners to join the band where they're at today, never content to simply pick up where they left off in 1996.

Thematically, Poor Old Lu seems to have brightened up a bit since their last outing. The title is a metaphor for Earth as we wait to meet our Saviour in Heaven. "The Waiting Room" serves alternately as an exploration of broken man and his earnest plea for grace and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. This theme is plainly defined at the onset through Hunter's ever-introspective lyrics in lead track Revolve: "Have the lights gone dim/in the light of this sin? ... I'm pushing this out and pulling You in/I've been living in doubt and walking on pins/I'm throwing this out and hoping in (where joy and peace begin)/I'm sick of the drought and walking on."

Ultimately, this record is not only a welcome return of a wonderfully talented band, but it is also an exciting preview of things to come. This is a great place to start if you're not familiar with Poor Old Lu; and, if you are already a fan, you know that "The Waiting Room" will join the rest of Poor Old Lu's records as an absolutely indispensable musical component of your life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Comeback, January 15, 2003

By 

Jeff Benson (Aurora, IL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Waiting Room (Audio CD)

Not sure what the previous reviewer was smoking . . . but this is now my favorite Poor Old Lu album overall and I've been playing it over and over. What a great comeback. Poor Old Lu does what they do best, giving us uplifting, amazing songs and great musicianship (as always). I love their back catalog, but I feel that this album is strongest and most consistent. I've seen them play live on a number of occasions, and I can't wait to see them play the stuff on this album.

I am tremendously excited by this album and I hope it's not their last!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Poor Old Lu ever...maybe the best of the year., November 2, 2002

By 

"tnfcl" (A Thousand Miles From Nowhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waiting Room (Audio CD)

I really like this album from beginning to end. Every song is great, they worked hard on this and you can tell. The only albums of 2002 that I think might be better are Rush's Vapor Trails & Sixpence None the Richer's Divine Discontent. Some of the songs remind me a bit of Sunny Day Real Estate, some sound like old Poor Old Lu. The rest sound very fresh and alive. These guys have made a masterpiece. Just listen to the sound files, and even a short piece indicates that this is a strong album.