DeViCom CD-Review: Guided by Voices

The cult of indie rock thrives on the unexpected discovery, and in 1994 Guided by Voices was just the sort of musical phenomenon no one figured was still out there — Thirtysomething rock obsessives cranking out fractured guitar-driven pop tunes in a laundry room. Robert Pollard and his stable of beer buddies/backing musicians had been churning out stuff like Bee Thousand for years, but the album's surprise critical success marked the first time the group found a significant audience outside their home town, and it made a clear case for Guided by Voices' virtues - as well as their flaws. From the moment "Hardcore UFOs" kicks in, it's obvious that Robert Pollard has an uncanny gift for a hook and a melody, and Bee Thousand's twenty cuts are dotted with miniature masterpieces like "Echos Myron," "Smothered in Hugs," and "Queen of Cans and Jars." However, there are also more than a few duds that threaten to cancel out the good will the great songs generate, and Pollard is an acquired taste as a lyricist — his freakishly poetic verse has a real charm, but it's hard to figure out what he's on about. (GBV's other principle songwriter, Tobin Sprout, contributes less often, but manages a higher batting average.) The lo-tech rumble of the album's DIY production also wavers between being a help and a hindrance, depending on the songs, and as musicians Guided by Voices veer between sounding like inspired amateurs and ...well, just amateurs. On Bee Thousand, Guided by Voices sounds like a passionate and gloriously quirky garage band fronted by a thrillingly and maddeningly idiosyncratic songwriter; its many pearly moments make it a fascinating discovery for rock enthusiasts, but a few years would pass before this band was fully earning the new accolades showered upon it.