The prolific Guided By Voices juggernaut soldiers on, releasing its second album of 2021 and their thirty-fourth album overall, It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them! Containing fifteen tracks of superb lo-fi rock and a few curveballs, no number stands out more than “The Bell Gets Out Of The Way.” The song contains a mellow Yacht Rock-minded melody, accentuated by Robert Pollard‘s abstract lyrics and a slow, almost monotone singing. But then the song flips the coin halfway through when it transforms into a lovely McCartney-style instrumental passage highlighted by lush strings and tasteful horns. It’s quite a surprise; in the hands of anyone other than Pollard, the transition between the two simply wouldn’t gel. It’s quite a lovely surprise from Guided By Voices, this unexpected pop confection. Would we love to hear Pollard and company make a mellow, orchestrated pop-rock album? Based on “The Bell Gets Out Of The Way,” our answer is a resounding YES.
Purchase Guided By Voices It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!: Guided By Voices, Inc
The Recoup 