The continuing task of catching up on the big-ass batch of Robert Pollard-led releases Kpdexter sent me marches on with an early 2010 solo album, We All Got Out of the Army. In my overdue review of Boston Spaceships’ Brown Submarine I lamented that the musicians on that album rarely “dug in” and “created their own shot,” that is, pushed the arrangements to unexpected places. That’s not the case on this solo release, done with producer/frequent partner-in-crime Todd Tobias. Across 17 concise, mostly energetic songs, the arrangements are not afraid to take it to the hoop with the surgical focus of the Cobra Verde-influenced Guided By Voices albums. I dig!
Robert Pollard, “We All Got Out of the Army”
Robert Pollard, “I’ll Take the Cure”
Songs like “Post-Hydrate Update” and the title track don’t pussyfoot around. The strong opening rhythmic gestures and discordant touches work well to support Pollard’s UK psych/prog phrasing. Even songs with a lighter touch, like “I’ll Take the Cure,” have a whiff of the Canterbury scene. This is not to say that Pollard’s finally gone prog, but on this album, with the arrangements clanging around him, he once more fulfills his post-punk, art-rock side, sounding like 154-era Wire if those guys could have removed the 4″ x 4″ from their collective ass.
