We fans of all things indie-rockin’ power pop must be thankful for the life-force known as Guided By Voices (GBV), a group which continues to regularly enrich our lives with tasty new music pretty much every six months! Their latest album, appealingly-titled Thick Rich And Delicious, certainly lives up to its promise; this may be the most accessible GBV album since 2020’s Mirrored Aztec.
Mostly written by lead singer and founder Robert Pollard, and powered by what may be the strongest and most consistent lineup in Guided By Voices’ long history, Thick Rich and Delicious is a lean, tightly wound rock record. It channels the sharper, more disciplined energy of the band’s second “Cobra Verde” era (1997–2004) rather than the ragged charm of their early lo-fi breakthroughs.
Thick Rich And Delicious sounds mighty tasty. Comments from producer Travis Harrison’s website indicate that: “basic tracks were cut live and hot to tape and are presented with minimal overdubs. The band recorded in a Brooklyn studio at extreme volumes, conjuring the spontaneity and electric energy of their legendary live show.” Indeed, it sounds pretty rock solid even when you turn things up but also its not Abbey Road so set your audiophile expectations accordingly.
Ultimately any new GBV record is all about the music and Thick Rich And Delicious delivers many enticing earworms. Opening with an anthemic grungy guitar instrumental, “Babies and Gentlemen” acts as a quasi-overture replete with a distant celestial vocalese choir floating like so many sweet cherries atop a whipped-cream-towered ice cream sundae. The charming “(You Can’t Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda” feels like a cross between Sell Out-era Who and Green-era REM (with a nod to that band’s 1984 hit “Rockville”).
“Lucy’s World” finds guitarist Doug Gillard in particularly ferocious form. Also, note of the glorious final chiming chord, similar to the end of XTC’s 1986 classic “Dear God.”
The curiously titled “Xeno Urban” is another hook-fest (I have no idea who this Xeno is but Robert Pollard has referenced a like-named character in the past on “Xeno Pariah,” opening track of 2013’s English Little League). This track starts out churning electric but then strips back to just Pollard’s vocal and acoustic guitar for a striking album side ender.
“Siren” is solid and rocking with a super cool descending guitar sequence in the bridge. Haunting harmonies at the end of the song soar above the barrage of layered guitars and bass (the latter channeling some serious Jack Bruce vibes!).
Side Two kicks off with the blistering rocker “Tribute to Beatle Bob,” a track that practically dares you to read between the lines. If I were an old-school rock critic, I might be tempted to find some autobiographical hints in there—especially since Pollard recently surprised fans by abruptly halting touring. Maybe it’s just time for a breather (understandable after his output and schedule), or maybe it’s part of a bigger plan. The lyrics certainly leave the door open:
“Yeah and he’ll be there for you
In vintage clothes
And a punk rock nose
Kicked out for four more years
He’ll be back”
Thick Rich And Delicious features some of Pollard’s best vocals in years. Compositionally, he and his GBV allies continue to amaze and astound, nourishing the rock ‘n roll spirit with magical human alchemy, prospecting sparkling nuggets from a gloriously endless musical gold mine.
Where to buy: $23.99 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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