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New York Press
Tramps Review NY City
Guided by Voices has never been much of a model for lineup consistency, but any way you look at it, Robert Pollard and Co.'s ever-rotating roster has taken some mighty strange turns as of late. Last year Pollard raised some eyebrows when he announced he was forsaking his usual stable of beered-up Dayton homeboys to join forces with Cleveland glam-rockers Cobra Verde. When Mag Earwhig! was released, though, the naysayers were forced to shut up; for the first time in GBV's 14-plus-year history, Pollard had found technically proficient musicians to cook his psychedelic punk/pop with, and the results were fantastic. When this leaner and meaner assemblage hit the road in support of the album, the transformation seemed complete.
Unfortunately, "GBVerde" went down the shitter after the band got wind of an interview Pollard did with Addicted to Noise, in which he revealed his intention to can them at tour's end. It didn't take long for a replacement lineup to be pieced together, and on paper this latest configuration resembles something of a Guided by Voices supergroup: Cobra Verde guitarist Doug Gillard has remained, joined by on-again, off-again GBV bassist Greg Demos and ex- Breeders drummer Jim MacPherson.
Warmly welcomed by a sold-out crowd of GBV diehards, the band launched into a set split evenly between old and new material. The new stuff seemed more in line with pre-Earwhig GBV--stripped-down rock with killer melodies and Pollard's trademark surreal lyricism. But though GBV may be feeling less virtuosic these days, they make up for it in tightness and energy. The Demos- MacPherson rhythm section gives GBV a formidable bottom end, although Demos should be flogged if he ever wears those goofy, ass-hugging striped pants out in public again. Gillard may be the most versatile guitarist ever to sever time in GBV, a point driven home as he alternated effortlessly between the straight-ahead rhythmic rumble of "Motor Away" and the flashy fretwork of "I Am A Tree".
As always, the glue that held the whole thing together was Pollard. Say what you will about his microphone-twirling, fist-pumping schtick, the guy is a charismatic frontman who knows how to work his audience, a rarity in late'90s rock 'n roll. His voice was in great shape, his faux-British accent giving GBV staples like "Bulldog Skin," "Hot Freaks" and "I Am A Scientist" their punch.