GUIDED BY VOICES
Tremblers and Goggles by Rank
[GBV-2022]
In a continuous but seemingly furtive way, Bob Pollard and
his most recent of co-horts (Bobby Bare Jr, Doug Gillard, Kevin March and Marc
Shue) have made 13 albums in the 5 years since this lineup came together. Not
only is this the longest stretch of any lineup in the band’s history but the
music they’ve been putting out has been consistently solid if not as seminal as Bee Thousand [Scat-1994] or Alien Lanes [Matador-1995].
Their most recent platter denotes a desire to further expand their sonic palette with melodic and rhythmic shifts that reference prog rock if not necessarily embracing it full-on. But this is no surprise as Uncle Bob has made clear that prog is one of the “4 Ps”—pop, punk and psych being the other three—that inform his songwriting. (For what it’s worth, it’s also one of the more Who-centric records in their catalog.)
While I would recommend this one to both fans of the band and the uninitiated, I would suggest the latter group check out first single “Alex Bell” and then decide whether to delve further into the record. A tribute to Big Star’s founders Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, “Alex Bell” best encapsulates the feel and purpose of the album overall, as it weaves thru melodies and quick turns but in Uncle Bob’s own unmistakable way.
Released July 1, 2022.
