Robert Pollard - From A Compound Eye

Genre rock Publisher Merge Records External Links Official Website Merge Records

I'm guessing that it was probably one of three things that made you click on the link to read this review in full - either you're a huge fan of Robert Pollard and eager to read anything about the guy, you're mildly interested in what the guy has been up to since Guided By Voices split at the end of 2004, or you just can't seem to get enough of my reviews. Judging by the complete lack of rabid fan mail and rock-critic groupies at my door every week, I think that pretty much rules out the third option. Which leaves us with the other two, either you're completely up to date with your Fading Captain fanclub dues and foaming at the mouth for another release or you've allowed your membership to lapse and are wondering whether or not this album is worth climbing back aboard for. I think both groups are going to be pleasantly surprised by what is to be heard in From A Compound Eye.

Those of you falling squarely in the die-hard camp of Pollard fandom will find plenty to love about his latest album, and then some. Clocking in at over 70 minutes and taking up four sides of vinyl, From A Compound Eye cranks up the quantity without sacrificing any of the quality. It seems that during recent years a longer Pollard album just meant more frustrating song sketches and failed experiments, destroying the delicate hit to miss ratio that kept those classic early GbV albums so captivating. This time out, however, the number of near-hits is kept to a bare minimum and the longer running time just means more of Pollard's weird, wild experimentation and melodic genius. As to be expected with nearly anything he's ever done there are a couple of tracks that meander aimlessly without payoff ("Other Dogs Remain") or come to a frustratingly quick end before really even taking off ("Kick Me and Cancel"), but these are vastly outnumbered by the tracks that do succeed.

One of the most exciting things about F.A.C.E. is the brilliant pop gems that can and will stand proudly alongside any of the most beloved GbV songs. "Dancing Girls and Dancing Men," "Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft," and "I'm A Widow" all showcase Pollard's pop sensibilities and will remind the die-hards just why they still care after all this time. And as good as those three songs are, none of them can hold a candle to the most glorious sixty-eight seconds on the album - also known as the deliciously infectious "I'm A Strong Lion." This track stands as one of the album's greatest testaments to his songwriting skills, worming its way into your ear and memory in less than a third of the length of the average pop song. Even as he branches out beyond the simple pop fare on other tracks by adding layers of distortion and overdubbed guitars, the underlying melody and songcraft cannot be completely washed away.

And branch out he does, flexing nearly every songwriting muscle he's ever twitched before - from aping Brian Wilson harmonies on "Cock of the Rainbow" to playing around with sound collage with "Kensington Cradle." F.A.C.E. also seems to find Pollard unafraid to let the more prog-rock inspired experiments rub shoulders with the GbV-ready pop numbers. Longtime fans of the Fading Captain series won't be surprised by the (relative) epic-length tracks like "Conqueror of the Moon" and "The Numbered Head," but less active listeners might find them a little harder to swallow. The transition from the piano-led harmonies on "U.S. Mustard Company" to the distorted, rumbling mess that is "Numbered Head" may be a little much at first, but as the guitar snakes its way through the noisy squall and the tune slowly morphs into more straightforward rock it all begins to make a little sense. It's the little moments like this that have made obsessive fans out of Pollard's music, when all of the haphazardness of his natural talent and wide-ranging influences converge into one brief moment of beautiful chaos. Luckily there are enough of these moments throughout the album to convince even the most cynical of his fair-weather fans that the well is far from running dry and that they may do well to jump back on the train.

By far the most refreshing thing about From A Compound Eye is that Bob simply sounds more inspired and passionate than he has in years. Some of the latter period GbV albums sounded more like they were done out of obligation than anything else, but thankfully that is no longer the case. I can't say for sure what was the main factor behind this renewal of passion - be it the new home on Merge, the blossoming of Todd Tobias as producer and creative partner, or simply the freedom from the Guided by Voices indie-legend albatross - but he certainly seems to have found his prolific muse again and entered another promising stage of his career. So even if you are one of the ones who swore off buying anything with Pollard's name on it after the Do The Collapse phase, do yourself a favor and give the guy another chance. As the hardcore fans already know, the club is most definitely still open.