Weekly Release Spotlight: Guided By Voices
Posted on 1/16/2012
Guided By Voices
Let's Go Eat the Factory
Fire
Let's Go Eat the Factory
Fire
What now seems like the dark ages, Guided By Voices ‘classic lineup’ formed in 1983 alongside emerging bands like Sonic Youth and R.E.M. In 2004, lead member Robert Pollard announced GBV’s disbandment with a final album and farewell tour ending in Chicago with a sixty-three song set lasting over four hours. Between the fifty to sixty musicians that came and went, Robert Pollard has been Guided By Voices’ constant. During their hiatus, he often doubted a GBV reunion would ever take place. Proving himself differently, the ‘classic lineup’ (Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell) returns for the first time since 1996 on their sixteenth release Let’s Go Eat the Factory.
Let’s Go Eat the Factory consists of twenty-one songs, and similar to their prior albums, all are under two minutes (despite their length, all tracks have vocals, or at least sample vocals). “Doughnut For A Snowman” is the first standout track. The flute (or perhaps piccolo?) intro sets a calm mood for the remainder of the song. Distinctive guitar riffs heard on “Spiderfighter” and “God Loves Us” and strings on “Hang Mr. Kite” lead to my favorite track on the album, “The Unsinkable Fats Domino.” It’s like one of those songs where you listen to it once, know half of the lyrics, steadily tap your toes and bob your head all after only thirty seconds of listening and have no reservations clicking ‘repeat.’ I had to double check my music library when “Who Invented the Sun” began because I briefly thought it was an Elliott Smith track, or perhaps he rose from the dead and collaborated with Pollard. Unsure if “How I Met My Mother” is a spinoff and/or allusion to ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ but had the same on the edge of your seat/want to hear what will be said next feeling. For the next few songs, the album mellows out leading to another standout, “Old Bones.” Guided By Voices’ veteran status may lead you to think they can’t keep up with the scene nowadays, but even the pioneers dig into the prevalent reverb-land for the first time in “Old Bones.” Sneakily, they also incorporate four or five measures sounding very similar to a Christmas tune (which I have yet to pinpoint, humor me if you wish). Finally, track twenty-one brings the heavy, poker-faced “We Won’t Apologize For the Human Race.” Fair enough, I don’t blame them.
Throughout the years, Guided By Voices have maintained their Pavement + Silver Jews + The Breeders sound with tasteful differences and new material to keep pique the listener’s curiosity. As Pollard said, “If you’re going to get the band back together, it should be to support a new record, not just to play the hits.” Let’s Go Eat the Factory is available for digital download and available in retail stores January 24. Their follow up Class Clown Spots a UFO is expected to release May 2012.
Stream: Guided By Voices - "Unsinkable Fats Domino"