ROBERT POLLARD
FROM A COMPOUND EYE
MUST DESTROY

London Times
February 5 2006

4 Stars

The Ohio schoolteacher Robert Pollard was already in his thirties when his basement hobby band, Guided by Voices, surfaced in the late 1980s. He has since recorded thousands of songs, revealing a lyrical and melodic gift that renders most indie rock irrelevant. The GBV brand having been retired, this solo album delivers the usual unforgettable hooks - I'm a Widow, Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft - alongside spurts of intriguing lo-fi ephemera. Pollard's ability to mould punk, prog, psychedelia and 1960s beat into a seamless whole combines with a terrifying genius for an irresistible tune that borders on obsessional madness.