“FROM A COMPOUND EYE,” CD BY ROBERT POLLARD. MERGE RECORDS.
Could Dayton, Ohio’s Robert Pollard possibly have anything new to say after releasing some 1,000 songs in the past decade with indie rock favorite Guided By Voices? With “From a Compound Eye,” a 26-song solo effort, Pollard proves to have more than a few new tricks up his sleeve. The record brings back memories of classic Guided By Voices, known for its prolific releases of lo-fi alternative rock. “From a Compound Eye” features Beatles hooks and punk guitar anthems covered with melancholic, if often undecipherable, lyrics. The record’s shortest and longest tracks are highlights. “I’m a Strong Lion” is the catchiest 68-second song you’re likely to hear. “Conqueror of the Moon” veers from an off-kilter acoustic track to prog rock epic, all in five minutes. The record isn’t likely to be big with fans of mainstream music. Its appeal is to the more musically adventurous who appreciate well-crafted, if not offbeat, songs. Pollard has managed to make a “mature” record that straddles the lo-fi genre and the classic rock world he always has believed himself to be part of. He does so in a way that doesn’t sap the music of its joy.
,Mark Mueller
RATING: FOUR BRIEFCASES
(out of four)
