Boston Spaceships
(Guided By Voices, Inc.)
Robert Pollard's third release in 13th months with Boston Spaceships is, if anything, more raucous than the first one, setting the tone with the jagged cacophony that punctuates "Pluto the Snake," as though the guitars are answering his urgent queries of "Is everybody happy now?" with a resounding "We're actually beating each other to death, but thanks for asking." And it's not the last time Pollard plays against the underlying sweetness of his power pop with something uglier and less infectious - to brilliant effect.
It's hard to say what Pollard means by "Found Obstruction Rock N' Rolls," as one song's title goes. And yet it does feel like those words are somehow summing up the essence of what's going down here while the song itself may be the missing link between the early Buzzcocks and the early Who. And speaking of the early Who, "How Wrong You Are" may be his finest hour as an early Who obsessive, complete with ridiculous horns and a punch-drunk falsetto. Other highlights dial it down a notch or two without detracting from the album's pacing, from the subtle psychedelic charms of "Question Girl All Right" to "Godless," a one-minute, eight-second ballad that feels like a demo for The Who Sell Out.
Standout tracks: "Pluto the Snake," "Found Obstructions Rock and Roll" A. WATT
