Before officially joining Ohio's lo-fi pop kings Guided By Voices as guitarist & songwriter, Tobin led the mid-'80s Dayton trio Fig. 4 (Figure 4), who released a 7" EP and one album which attracted the attention of GBV's Robert Pollard. Although he might not yet be a household name, GBV aficionados know that Tobin's songs hold up as some of their finest. In addition, Tobin's critically acclaimed solo albums have established Sprout as an entity separate from Guided By Voices. Tobin is also a photo-realist painter of note. His realist paintings and sculptures involve thorough reproduction of detail, resulting in nearly photographic work. His immaculate talent for detail is also evident on Fortunes. The result is the perfect backdrop of a story about three old friends who find themselves receiving visions of their future from a Fortuneteller. These visions lead them to the timeless question: Are our lives simply what we make of them or is there indeed such a thing as "fate"? While exploring this question musically, Sprout has created & executed his most ambitious work to date.