Guided By Voices
Earthquake Glue

THE REVIEW

"There wasn't enough music I liked, so I started making it myself!" How often have we thought we have to wait too long to hear an album that really grabs us? Robert Pollard, the true leader and perhaps the only constant member of the Guided By Voices, solved this problem by embarking on a musical career at a young age. And, for the record, the music he liked was none other than that of the Beatles, Wire, Big Star, and Genesis.
Americans from Ohio, the Guided by Voices, as already mentioned, have frequently changed their lineup, with the inspired Frontman being the constant point. An overproductive man, so much so that he reached averages of one album a year, and in twenty years of career that makes for a lot of albums. Robert represents an atypical figure in the modern musical landscape. If only for his productivity, releasing one album a year is as far as possible from the routine imposed by majors, made of single-album-singles-tour-three years of stagnation. It's no coincidence that the Guided by Voices record for Matador, which is anything but a major.

Our heroes prefer short songs around two minutes and albums filled with tracks. However, their works always turn out to be successful, accomplished despite their brief duration. “Earthquake Glue,” released last August, can be a good starting album for those who do not know the group yet. It is an atypical pop record, close to rock, fast and engaging. The songs are perfect fusions of melodies and lyrics, the latter now reaching maturity; a liquid and murky musicality at the same time. Pollard's voice, high and smooth, sometimes reminiscent of Stipe. Their instinct and freshness place them among the top of the indie lo-fi pop genre.

An immense discography, as we said, but always faithful to itself, never boring or falling into repetitiveness. In short, Pollard... and you know what you're listening to!
Highly recommended. An exceptional fan of theirs?!? Badly Drawn Boy, is that enough?