Guided By Voices - Propeller

Guided By Voices are the best low-fi absurdist hard-rock experimental collage band ever to emerge from Dayton, Ohio. While singer/guitarist/songwriter Rob Pollard's fragmentary structures and religious observance of the low-fi aesthetic may frustrate some, it is difficult to resist his infallible instinct for melodic hooks and his tongue-in-cheek appropriation of anthemic '70s hard rock. Propeller dates from GBV's mid-period, located between their often incoherent early efforts and somewhat more streamlined albums such as Alien Lanes. Along with BEE THOUSAND, Propeller is a perfect example of what this idiosyncratic outfit is all about. Mixing an art-project cut-and-paste sensibility with a clear love of classic rock, GBV wire together scraps of punk ("Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy"), naive '60s pop ("On The Tundra"), acoustic folk ("14 Cheerleader Coldfront"), mock metal ("Lethargy"), and shamelessly hooky songs ("Quality of Armor") complete with infectious choruses and Beatles-esque harmonies. Pollard's surreal, often nonsensical lyrics serve as gentle reminder not to take this band's wonderfully creative rock amalgam too seriously.
(RS)