Conventional wisdom has long had it that
Guided by Voices
are
Robert Pollard
and whoever else he decides is in the band, a notion that certainly has evidence to back it up (just ask
Kevin Fennell
sometime). That said, though
Pollard
is clearly the man with the grand vision and the songwriting chops, having a band capable of executing his ideas makes an enormous difference, and one of the biggest reasons
GbV
have been on an unprecedented hot streak since 2017's
August by Cake
is he's assembled the strongest group of players he's had to date -- guitarists
Doug Gillard
and
Bobby Bare Jr.
, bassist
Mark Shue
, and drummer
Kevin March
, who can mix
's leanings towards skewed vintage pop, prog rock esoterica, and gut-punching rock & roll with strength and aplomb.
Welshpool Frillies
, their second album of 2023, is an especially impressive example of the strength of
as a band rather than another
project. After recording several albums piecemeal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, these sessions were recorded live to tape, and one can hear the interaction between the players and the muscle and sense of excitement it brings to the music.
Gillard
's lead guitar work has been one of the best reasons to listen to this edition of
, and he gives these performances a soaring crunch that gives the band's rock moves a rock-solid foundation without showboating or excess, and the charge of the rhythm section has a kick that's artfully visceral. (The band clearly doesn't mind working at
's prolific pace, either; this is their 15th album since 2017.)
's melodies typify the ambitious approach that's dominated his work of the 21st century, as numbers like "Don't Blow Your Dream Job" and "Why Don't You Kiss Me" turn through several shifts in tone and tempo during their running time, and there are judicious string overdubs on several tracks. Yet even when
is indulging his artier side, this music isn't afraid to be loud and proud: "Romeo Surgeon," "Meet the Star," and "Rust Belt Boogie" kick out the jams with lots of sweaty abandon. And if you're afraid this will be short on fun-size pop masterpieces, "Seeding" and "Better Odds" are here for you, as are two lo-fi acoustic tracks, "Chain Dance" and "Mother Mirth."
has never had so long a streak of consistently fine albums as they've had since this edition came to be, and
shows this band (and their indefatigable leader) aren't about to let us down now. ~ Mark Deming