This album starts off with “Space Gun”, and I actually really love this as an intro. From the wild sound effects to the determined riff, this actually reminds me of a track that would have snuggled up nicely to Guided By Voices’ classic “Propeller”. Not to mention, Robert Pollard on vocals doesn’t seem to be dragging down my mood nearly as much as he has in the last few years. Let’s be honest, on GBV’s last few outings, Robert from time to time has sounded out of it. But here, he sounds so aggressive and youthful. This track actually str of goes against a lot of the rules of GBV songs, being almost 4 minutes long. Which on paper is absolutely nuts. But they sound unified and seriously fantastic, and it makes me seriously happy to hear. Now, remember what I said about Robert Pollard sounding out of place? “Colonel Paper” is exactly what I was talking about. This track isn’t youthful, and it’s certainly not interesting. The chugging guitars, Robert’s awkward performance and the all-around stiff performance here is so boring. It’s moments like this that I seriously do wish this album stayed on the shelf. On the other hand, “King Flute” is actually sort of sweet and breezy. This is a new sound completely for Guided By Voices, especially these days. This is sort of cosmic and hopeful sounding, and it remains certainly out there lyrically. As far as the lyrics go, this actually reminds me of something they would have done years ago. Moments like “King Flute” while not perfect, are at least seriously fun. “Ark Technician” continues to show that Guided By Voices does still have gas in the tank. It’s sort of Folky in feel, but at the same time, there’s plenty of Lo-Fi elements to this as well. And while Pollard sounds a little tired in his performance, I actually think it gives this track a sort of gritty edge that I really love. It’s one of the more simpler tunes here, even Pollard lyrically seems to be at his most straightforward. But call me crazy, I really dig “Ark Technician”. On the other hand, “See My Field” has a lot of punchy guitar licks and some of the band’s more explosive performances here. This may seem like a victory lap of sorts, but the band sounds full of energy, and Pollard once again sounds on top of his game. His lyrics aren’t desperate for attention, and his performance is invigorating. Yea sure, there are some moments that probably would have been a lot cooler years ago, but still, it’s moments like this that make me really happy Guided By Voices still release music after all these years.
But as the album goes on, things just get more hit or miss with Guided By Voices. We have tracks like “Liar’s Box”, which right off the bat you just get the feeling that the band is trying way too hard. They just want to be that young, abrasive, and seriously strange band once again. Which is fine, but they just end up sounding so incredibly stiff on all ends. I’m OK with a slower, heavier instrumental, that’s going to happen with just about any band. But “Liar’s Box” is incredibly lifeless. Even Pollard on vocals just sounds like he had a few sips of beer and jotted down the first collection of thoughts he had. That may have worked in the past, but it’s just depressing here. And to be honest, “Blink Blank” really isn’t that much better. The instrumental is actually a little bit more in the style of Guided By Voices, and actually has some genuinely Lo-Fi elements to it. But Robert Pollard once again seems to be seriously out of place. I love just how cosmic this is, and I’m totally cool with the more spacey production. But like I said, Pollard just seems so out of touch with where the band should be right now. His style of songwriting in generally hit or miss, and has been for years. But this is just lazy. Thankfully, “Daily Get Ups” brings in a little energy. This is a sort of punky, upbeat tune with a little attitude thrown in for good measure. While Pollard still isn’t at his most exciting, this is a totally viable upbeat tune. It’s even instantaneous, with GBV not wasting any of the minute and 35 seconds they’ve limited themselves to. But clearly, Guided By Voices aren’t straying too far from the more sluggish tunes like “Hudson Rake”. Which, once again, on paper, I don’t have a problem with. But this track is completely lifeless and void of any emotion, and incredibly uninteresting. The band just seem totally dead, and Robert sounds like he quite frankly doesn’t want to be here. Then we have “Sport Component National”, which is honestly the most fun I’ve had in ages. Sure, some of these group vocals are seriously cheesy and borderline Pop oriented. But this is just a well written, catchy tune. Some of the slower movements here are on the iffy side, and I would have been much happier with them going for a straightforward upbeat tune. And if I’m really going nuts, some of the shifts in tempo are a bit awkward. But hey, this works for me.
But it really does seem like some of the most likable tracks here come in the most straightforward moments. “I Love Kangaroos” is up next, and don’t we all Robert? There’s a retro tinge to this, totally harkening back to the 90’s Indie scene, which isn’t too shocking because they were certainly a part of it. But not only that, this is one of Robert’s most commendable and endearing performances. This track is wonderful. Then we have “Grey Spat Matters”, and it’s just so obvious that GBV has fuel left in the tank still. It’s just a matter of where the hell it is 90% of the time. This one is determined, grimy, and most importantly, Robert Pollard sounds like his old self. Hell, this literally sounds like a classic GBV tune on all fronts. It’s not the most upbeat or chaotic track, but almost everything here just sounds like where they should be right about now. But these slower, stripped-down tunes like “That’s Good” continue to be a serious thorn in my side. I just feel like so many of these slower tunes expose GBV for not being as young as they are. Obviously, every band is going to have a few slow tunes, but “That’s Good” just has the band sounding exhausted, like they’re going to fall apart at any minute. I do think some of the strings are sweet, but so much of this tune is exhausting to listen to. However, I’m surprised by just how many late tune here has quite a lot of punch. “Flight Advantage” starts off really fiery. But oh lord Mr. Pollard, what the hell are you doing. This vocal performance is just not good at all. I mean, if you’re up for him sounding goofier than anything, this track is certainly for you. But thankfully, the band have enough energy to carry this one. This album ends off with “Evolution Circus”, and sadly it’s really not doing too much for me. I like the grungy, Lo-Fi sound. But as a track, this is just so painfully average. There are moments here that come off for a moment or two of GBV’s storied past. But too much of this track is just OK. The vocal effects on Pollard’s voice are solid, and the haunting feel of this one is just fine. But am I going to remember this at all? Not even close.
Rating: 7.2/10
Give a Listen To: “Space Gun”, " Ark Technician", "Daily Get Ups", "I Love Kangaroos"
Genre: Lo-Fi / Indie Rock
Overall Thoughts: At this point in the legendary career of Guided By Voices, we know what to expect. We know we're going to get some oddball lyrics from Robert Pollard. We know we're gonna get some scratchy, sloppy instrumentals with plenty of reverb. But there just seems to be a few more hiccups this time around. No, there really isn't anything truly wrong with this album. But I feel like as GBV's career trudges along, they just sound more and more exhausted and less truly experimental. Yea, we have some seriously wild moments here that make me smile. But there's just as many moments on here that have Robert Pollard trying desperately seem like his once creative self, and the rest of the band trying to desperately keep up. This album is OK, certainly not the worst album you're going to hear this year.
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