Robert Pollard

'The Crawling Distance'

Uncle Bob's jukebox ready to make room for a slow jam?

Spin Rating6 of 10

This solo album by the ridiculously prolific former Guided by Voices leader, with help from instrumental accomplice Todd Tobias, features another ten songs of standard Pollard-isms -- vaguely British, Robyn Hitchcock–esque vocals warped by reverb and Echoplex mazes; surrealistic, first-thought-next-thought lyrics; sudden loud crunches of lo-fi guitar; and melodies that soar but never quite achieve the permanence of his best work. One notable change: He's actually easing up and expanding some songs past the three-and even four-minute mark. Dare we call him a balladeer?

Listen: "Red Cross Vegas Night" (DOWNLOAD MP3)

By Rob O' Connor

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