Robert Pollard
We All Got Out of the Army
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Label: Guided By Voices, Inc.
Robert Pollard established his own little corner of the indie rock world long ago, and he doesn't seem to be crawling out of it any time soon. For over 20 years, whether operating solo or with one of his numerous bands, the proficient singer-songwriter has led the charge when it comes to mostly fast, loud songs that sucker punch your senses before dissipating as quickly as they peaked. We All Got Out of the Army, his tenth release since the summer of 2008 (no, that's not a typo), is in many ways a microcosm of Pollard's career: a collection of short, high-octane and mostly catchy tunes that are all substance and no filler, with a mixture of power chords, screaming guitar riffs and the occasional skeletal, acoustic number thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, there's also precious little about this record that distinguishes it from any number of recent Pollard albums, making We All Got Out of the Army a decent piece for diehards but hardly a must-have for indie fans in general.
Cynics may quip that the only thing that ever changes about a Robert Pollard record is the title, and although such a dismissal of the artist's work is unfair (there are enough subtle differences in sound and style that set each album apart), listeners might get the feeling that they've heard the songs on Army before. The rollicking opener, "Silk Rotor," the seemingly drug-tripped images of "ecstasy warriors" on "I Can See" and the brief but screeching guitar riffs on "Post Hydrate Update" are all reminiscent of earlier efforts, while "Poet Bums" and "Cameo of a Smile" undoubtedly resemble Guided by Voices circa 1995. Of course, there's nothing wrong with recalling the best of GBV, Circus Devils or Boston Spaceships, but when an artist releases a new record about as frequently as some people change their bed sheets, sticking to a similar style time and again can quickly become merely repetitive as the albums start blending together.
Listeners have come to expect the bulk of Pollard's material to be short and even sawed off, and on some tracks here - the tongue-in-cheek, pleasantly bemusing "Your Rate Will Never Go Up" most notably - this peak-fast, fade-fast style works perfectly. Other songs, though ("Red Pyramid," "Talking Dogs," "On Top of the Vertigo") simply feel incomplete, like the artist ran out of words or music and didn't give it a second thought, making otherwise solid tracks sound like unfinished outtakes. Perhaps most disappointing is album closer "Faster to Babylon," which approaches poignancy before ending altogether too quickly. If a lousy song ends before its time, that's one thing, but for a quality tune to be apparently abandoned before it reaches its potential is just a letdown.
Like many of his records, Army is easier to appreciate than embrace, as the listener is always on the outside looking in as the lyricist delivers lines ("She ran off with an elephant and a reindeer") that only those inside his immediate circle - or maybe just Pollard - comprehend. Pollard's lyrics are mostly untouchable, but that doesn't mean they don't entertain, and Army certainly isn't a throwaway; it's just hard not to view it in light of its many similarities to the artist's numerous other efforts. We All Got Out of the Army is like an exquisite four-course meal ... that you had yesterday and the day before and the day before that. It's still palatable, but you can't help but crave something different.
by Marcus David
