Why are the paragons of indie rock so prolific? Does anybody really know the exact number of albums Beck has released in the last two years? Why does Lou Barlow need so many different outlets – Sebadoh, Sentridoh, Folk Implosion, solo recordings – for his material? Guided by Voices have recorded nine albums and a gazillion EPs and singles in their decade-long existence, with the average GBV LP containing about 20 songs. Such superabundant songwriting begs the question: Does all this music deserve release?
Add to the GBV tally these solo albums by the group's singer, leader and primary songwriter, Robert Pollard, and guitarist, Tobin Sprout. How their records differ from official
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Guided by Voices releases is debatable. Each features cameos by GBV members; Sprout even reprises "It's Like Soul Man" from the group's last album,
Under the Bushes Under the Stars. Of Pollard and Sprout, the former comes closest to replicating the GBV experience on his own – while adding some new twists. For someone so associated with low-fi rock, Pollard shows great command of the conventional recording studio on
Not in My Airforce: In the infectious pop anthem "Girl Named Captain," he whips up a roaring arena-rock sound that is reminiscent of Oasis' "Supersonic." The bittersweet acoustic ballad "Quicksilver" could be a lost Badfinger gem, and "John Strange School" is an acid-soaked meditation recalling Syd Barrett's best work. Still, with 22 tracks,
Airforce is a little too long, ending with a batch of unfocused pieces that – sometimes clocking in at less than a minute in length – feel like fragments.
On the other hand, Sprout's Carnival Boy is a collection of 14 pristinely crafted baubles, all in the manner of GBV's trippy, hard pop. Of the two solo albums, Carnival Boy feels more vital, possibly because Sprout's musical voice isn't as familiar as Pollard's. The George Harrison to Pollard's John Lennon in Guided by Voices, Sprout has written some of the group's best songs, although only a handful appear on each album. As such, Carnival Boy is a welcome addition to the extended GBV discography. Sprout's elfin voice is a charm on beauties such as "To My Beloved Martha"; strumming minor chords with the gusto of early R.E.M., Sprout creates a sound that is at once melancholy and uplifting.
It may be that as a songwriter, Sprout is just a better self-editor than Pollard. Nevertheless, both records are works of near genius. Looking for diamonds in the indie-rock-song haystack can be exasperating. But Not in My Airforce and Carnival Boy show that searching can be half the fun. (RS 748)
MATT DIEHL
