Robert Pollard’s discography now stands at 107 albums and counting. When we last heard from Guided by Voices, they had released an astonishing four albums in just over 12 months. Each has a distinctive creative identity: Zeppelin Over China was a meat-and-potatoes double album, Warp and Woof was a return to the band’s low-fidelity roots and under-two-minute earworms, Sweating the Plague was a slice of moody stadium rock, and Surrender Your Poppy Field was an unpredictable grab-bag of all of the above. After venturing through the tangled brambles of Plague and Poppy Field, we’re treated to a sunny Summer reprieve, a relentless barrage of hooks.
Mirrored Aztec, out Aug 21, 2020, is the latest stop on this runaway train. Like its immediate predecessors, it’s both its own entity and unmistakably GBV. It’s also their most immediately welcoming and inviting offering in years. For the GBV uninitiated, the clean, confident hooks will resonate immediately.
