What’s that voice in my head? Something has crawled in my ear, bored a hole in my brain, and now I’m guided by a voice. The voice is Robert Pollard’s and the real-life earwig is Guided by Voices.Admittedly, I was late to the scene. But, with the possible exception of Tommy Guerrero, the legendary Bones Brigade member and low-fi, funky, downbeat instrumentalist, I’ve listened to more GBV in the past two years than any other artist.
It started innocently, with “Teenage FBI” and “14 Cheerleader Cold Front.” Then on to “Surgical Focus,” “Things I Will Keep,” “Bulldog Skin,” “Everywhere with Helicopter,” “Motor Away,” “Hot Freaks,” “Glad Girls,” “Best of Jill Hives,” … “Watch Me Jump Start,” “My Kind of Soldier,” “To Remake the Young Flyer” … you can never get enough.
Tunes that check in at two-and-a-half minutes, vaguely bringing to mind The Cars, Cheap Trick, The Beatles or even Freddie and Dreamers; never sounding dated, even though they were created in Dayton, Ohio. And, always leave you wanting more.
Brilliant, obscure, enigmatic and addictive music. Listener beware. You will not be able to resist once Robert and the boys pull out their valuable hunting knife and bore a hole in your head.
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