Robert Pollard – Robert Pollard Is Off to Business
June 27, 2008
Robert Pollard’s second release of the year is a more of a straight ahead indie rock record than his previous release back in Janurary, Superman Was A Rocker, which was by and large an experimental pop album, albeit a pretty fun one. Robert Pollard Is Off To Business is also a lot of fun, and though the press for the record references “The Who, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Wire, and The Clean” as influences, I imagine a lot of listeners will hear songs that will instantly remind them of classic Guided By Voices work, Pollard’s band of old, minus the lo-fi production style. Pollard’s also working in a longer form, with some songs topping out over 5 minutes, practically epic length considering his propensity in the past for writing songs that seldom broke the 2 or 3 minute mark. It’s a pleasure to hear a master of guitar based rock ply his trade, mixing up electric and acoustic material to good effect. This album easily ranks as my favorite of his solo works so far. Standout cuts: “The Original Heart,” “Gratification To Concrete,” “Weatherman And Skin Goddess” and “Wealth And Hell-Being.”
