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I know, I know --- every time there's a new Guided By Voices CD out, everyone says the same thing: "It's a return to their old sound" blah blah blah. Well, I'm not gonna say it, so nyah nyah nyah! ;) While the songs undoubtedly boast the distinctive-Pollard-style, there are no weird little snippet songs like "Kicker of Elves" or something from Bee Thousand. This isn't a throwback to the past, it's an extension of their older more mature selves, yet more akin to "Isolation Drills" than to last year's "Universal Truths and Cycles". So, nope, no new surprises from the band who put Dayton, Ohio on the map, but just some more nice enough songs. (janice.09.03)
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universal truths and cycles • matador records • 2002
Okay, this CD doesn't actually come out until June 18, 2002, but our good friends at Matador are just so darned excited to have Pollard and co. back on their roster that they've put the album in its entirety up on the web! So, you too can listen and see how damned good it is, and then run and buy a copy for yourself in a couple of weeks. Click here to listen.
So, dare I say it, but this is a return to classic GBV, and the days of Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes! The opening track "Wire Greyhounds" is the kind-of short pop nugget we found on older releases, and "Skin Parade" chugs along with the same slow-burn lo-fi dirge as "Hot Freaks" does. "Zap" is a sprightly Lennon-esque tune, and "The Weeping Bogeyman" has a lo-fi quietness like "Esther's Day". But don't think this is the same-ol'-same-ol'! The title track is amazing! Total 60's mod brit pop, with the kind-of vocal hook that only Pollard can do. And you've still got the classic GBV bombast rock with "Everywhere With Helicopter."
Simply put: I can't stop listening to this! It's so so good! (janice.05.02)
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