Guided by Voices’ Latest Continues Their Current Hot Streak » PopMatters

Guided by Voices are an institution that could have entered the “phoning it in” era decades ago, coasting on recreations of past success to appease their devoted fanbase. They cemented their legacy as one of the greatest indie rock bands in their 1990s heyday, but they soldier on, releasing one or more albums each year that are vital enough to earn critical acclaim and keep fans coming back.

Robert Pollard‘s current band of co-conspirators is one of the very best versions of the band, arguably the best, and the last several years of Guided by Voices records have shown that there is plenty of gas left in the tank. Crawlspace of the Pantheon is yet another highly enjoyable chapter of one of the key songbooks of the past 50 years, the album release perfectly timed for driving with the windows down or hanging on the back porch with a few beers. 

Not that I ever expect anything less, but Pollard’s gift for writing instantly memorable pop hooks and getting you to bellow phrases like “Gold Star for Robot Boy” at shows, arm in arm with someone you just met, remains intact. Opening track “Lost in the Sun” takes its place in the list of great Guided by Voices album openers, with a soaring vocal from Pollard and a riff that feels like a handshake-hug combo from an old friend. “Advance Without Dropping” is classic in every sense, with a driving, thrilling riff and an effortlessly cool vocal from Pollard. “One Last Blow” has tinges of glam woven into their past few albums to successful effect.

“We Outlast Them All” is equal parts wistful and “do not go gentle into that good night”, a soaring, Who-tinged track that makes you hope Pollard makes good on this declaration. “Arthur Square” fits squarely in one of the newer GBV boxes, a song that effortlessly swirls postpunk with a dash of prog without a whiff of pretension. The driving riff gets interrupted repeatedly before the track dissolves into its coda. 

Although the Guided by Voices formula is well-established, there are some exciting surprises on Crawlspace of the Pantheon. “A Grand Ceremonial Jester” is a brief track with a dash of prog majesty that sets up “Dagon’s Plunger”, which builds to a strutting riff over sinister vocals and clocks in at just under five minutes. “Landscaping” is a pretty, psychedelic ballad that pairs nicely with “(How Would You Like A) Chariot Ride”, another sticky psych-tinged track. 

These minor adjustments to the patented Guided by Voices power pop playbook are perfectly calibrated to keep the band sounding fresh. The mid-fi production of the past several records, including this one, suits them. However, Pollard’s brilliance has shone through whether the band records on a tape in a basement or a studio with top-tier producers like Ric Ocasek or Rob Schnapf. Their output isn’t as furious as it was in the late 2010s, but the quality is higher. If anything, this slower (by Pollard’s standards) pace has resulted in Guided by Voices releases returning to being an event rather than an expectation. Just like last fall’s Thick, Rich, and Delicious, Crawlspace of the Pantheon continues an excellent run by an iconic band.