This is my second dose of Guided by Voices' brand of ameican indie rock medicine and a most welcome and invigorating tonic it is too. Robert Pollard's prolific bunch of lo-fi superstars have made 20+ albums so there's plenty to go at if you appreciate the GBV template. Bizarrly, I started with 2004's Half Life of the Decomposed, then just picked Do the Collapse at random; that's just the kind of guy I am.
This is a more commercial group of songs, but is nonetheless still quirky, original and at times beautiful. Every track is a winner really, but special mentions go to the anthemic 'Hold on Hope', the folk tinged weirdness of 'Dragon's Awake' and the sing-a-long wholesomeness of 'Strumpet Eye'.
If you're looking for influences; there's a touch of the Flaming Lips, a smattering of Sebadoh, a resemblance to Death Cab and maybe a little Sunset Rubdown, with the whole thing coated in a sugary shell of quirk-folk. The lyrics are unique and interesting and well worth the effort of some careful digestion.
Overall, a great album with a host of catchy, anthemic and unusual songs, but all in the unique style of GBV. Role on the other 18+ albums if they're all as good as this. I'll let you know.
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